Could smartphones be to blame for falling birth rates?
May 26, 2026
In a new article for The Financial Times, Burn-Murdoch examined the issue of plummeting birth rates around the globe, and how they are falling across numerous demographics. It no longer seems to matter if a nation is wealthy or poor, how much or how little education the adults have, or any of the other numerous explanations previously offered. The replacement rate for most countries is far below the 2.1 children per woman needed to maintain the population.
"Almost all of the world is now affected. Until recently, ultra-low and rapidly falling birth rates were primarily a concern for rich countries, but many developing countries now have lower fertility rates than much wealthier ones," he said, and later added, "[A]cross a wide range of countries, the decline in births and coupling is much steeper among those with the least education and lowest incomes. By contrast the share of university graduates forming couples and having children is stable or even rising in some cases. Family formation, it seems, has become K-shaped."
