The two reasons Americans aren’t having babies, according to data
August 14, 2025
The Trump administration wants an American baby boom, but so far this ambition has been a bit of a bust. The much-hyped baby bonus — a proposal to give mothers $5,000 after they give birth — ended up becoming a restrictive investment account where funds are inaccessible until children reach 18 years old. Meanwhile, Trump’s campaign promise to mandate IVF care appears to be sidelined.
The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that the United States reached its lowest fertility rate in history in 2024: Every American woman is now estimated to have 1.6 children during their lifetime, much lower than the 2.1 rate needed to keep population at its current level without immigration.
