In the U.S., this shift is driven in part by a growing number of women deciding against motherhood. According to Kearney, half of American women now reach age 30 without having at least one child. That's a dramatic increase from two decades ago, when only about a third of American women didn't have a child by that age. Many families are also choosing to have significantly fewer children.
There appear to be other upsides to declining fertility. Along with growing individual freedom and economic empowerment of women, the U.N. study also found a rapid drop in the number of girls and teenagers giving birth.
"The decline of the adolescent birth rates has been, I would say, one of the major success stories in global population health over the past three decades," said Vladimíra Kantorová, the U.N.'s chief population scientist.
But as more women and couples delay parenthood, have fewer babies or don't have children altogether, a growing number of nations around the world — more than 1 in 10 countries — have plunged to levels of childbearing so low that many scientists are worried.
Some progressives — as well as many population experts — also view conservative pronatalist policies, including opposition to reproductive rights and calls for a return to "traditional" family structures, as a threat to women.
"Some of these measures and policies can be deeply harmful, especially those related to sexual and reproductive health and choices and women's empowerment — and that's worrying," said the U.N.'s Kantorová.
Harvard economist Claudia Goldin has found that declining birth rates often coincide with greater educational and professional opportunities for women. Her research also shows that more than one-quarter of the decline in the fertility rates since 2007 can be attributed to falling teen pregnancies rates in the United States.
At the same time, women are not necessarily choosing to avoid parenthood altogether. Many are simply prioritizing other milestones before having children, including pursuing higher education, building careers, securing financial stability, and purchasing a home. Raising a family is a major financial and personal commitment, and many women are choosing to wait.
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Singapore has spent years expanding financial support for families as it grapples with one of the world's lowest fertility rates. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong recently announced a major expansion of family support measures, emphasizing that the government wants to provide assistance well beyond a child's birth and into the early years of parenting.
Under the Baby Bonus Scheme, parents are given cash gifts throughout the first six-and-a-half years of a child's life. The first and second child get a total of S$11,000, equivalent to about $8,660 USD, disbursed in six-month increments, and every other child gets S$13,000, equivalent to about $10,236 USD.
Despite those efforts, Singapore's birth rate remains among the lowest globally. The cash incentives began in 2001 and haven't been able to reverse the declining trend in birth rates.
South Korea has spent billions of dollars attempting to increase what has frequently been ranked as the world's lowest fertility rate. The government offers an extensive package of benefits that includes monthly allowances for parents, direct birth grants, childcare support, expanded parental leave and housing assistance.
South Korea launched a program in 2022 that gave mothers 2 million won, the equivalent of about $1,500 USD, when they gave birth and then an additional 700,000 won, equivalent to about $500 USD, each month until their child turns one. Then, parents get 350,000 won, equivalent to about $260 USD, per month until they turn 2.
South Korea is still struggling with its birth rate, but the number of babies born in South Korea increased in 2024, the first time in nine years.
Estonia has combined direct payments with broader family support programs aimed at encouraging larger families.
Parents receive childbirth allowances and other child-related benefits, with support increasing for households with multiple children. The country also offers paid parental leave and childcare policies that policymakers say help reduce the cost of raising children.
Estonia's birth rate has been on the decline since 2021. The child allowance started in 1992.
Finland has adopted a combination of cash benefits and family support services to encourage child-rearing. One of the country's most famous family programs is the baby box, which provides new parents with essential supplies for newborns. Families can also receive financial assistance and monthly benefits.
Despite being family-friendly, Finland has one of the lowest birth rates among the Nordic countries.
"So we cannot really any longer say that it's our good family policies that explain good fertility in the Nordics," Anneli Miettinen, a research manager at Kela, told NPR in 2025.