Few see falling birth rates as a priority: Survey

Few Americans see falling birth rates as a national priority, according to a new survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

When asked in the Thursday survey about how large of a problem declining birth rates in the U.S. is, 28 percent of respondents said it is a major issue while 44 percent called it a minor one. Twenty-seven percent didn’t consider it a problem at all.

The U.S. birth rate fell to an almost record low last year, per preliminary data. A vital statistics rapid release report published earlier this year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that about 3.6 million babies were born in the U.S. last year, a 1 percent increase from a record low number of births two years ago.

The U.S. birth rate consistently dipped following the Great Recession in 2007, with births slightly rising in 2021, per CDC data.

Some Republican leaders in recent months have emphasized pronatalism, encouraging Americans to have more children. Top proponents include former White House adviser Elon Musk and Vice President Vance.

Americans, however, said the cost of raising children is more of a problem, per Tuesday’s poll.

In the AP-NORC survey, 76 percent said childcare costs are a big issue while just 18 percent considered it to be a minor one. Five percent of respondents said it was not a problem at all.

The AP-NORC poll took place from June 5 to 9, with 1,158 people and a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.