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Why Birthrates Decline

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According to data from the Urban Institute, birth rates among 20-year-old women declined 15% between 2007 and 2012. Research shows that only 1/3rd of couples are choosing to start families. There are many reasons as to why birthrates have decreased. For newlywed couples who are looking to start a family, money and debt may play a serious role. On the other hand, as more women graduate college the need for advancing in their career outweighs the need for children. For others, the idea of kids, in general, may be unsettling. Finally, there is a growing sentiment that having children may be the selfish thing to do. To start off, one factor that plays into couples having fewer children is the couple’s financial status. The U.S Department of …show more content…

Second and Third-wave feminism might have played a huge role in this cause. Women in the late 1960’s fought for the right to legal abortions and access to safe contraceptives. Therefore, women in the U.S find themselves with more control over when they have children, and may put off the process indefinitely. When comparing First and Third world Countries there is a dramatic comparison between how many children a family has. The U.S is fortunate enough be able to provide more forms of birth control to further delay the process. There is also a growing trend among more women to choose further education over children. In comparison, the female to male ratio has increased dramatically since 1970. Now more women in the workplace no longer feel the need to be financially dependent on their spouses as compared to women in the early 1960’s. Women aged mid 20’s to early 30’s are finding themselves waiting longer for kids and even marriage. With less pressure from society, there are women who are at liberty to advance in their careers without the need for children being immediate or at …show more content…

Those who replied stated that our generations, like the ones before us, have done irreversible damage to the earth. To have children while understanding that we have used up a massive amount of natural resources makes one think about the type of future that their offspring may end up facing. A study by the World Wildlife Fund warned that humans are plundering the planet at a pace that outstrips its capacity to support life. With another issue that may play into this is the concern of overpopulation. With the chance that overpopulation may lead to poverty, over- consumption and damage to our oceans and

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