For some, this new reality reflects changing social attitudes and a desire not to have children, but for others, the decision has been taken out of their hands by a range of factors. The latest statistics available reflect the extent to which this has become a global phenomenon. In the current USA, the birth rate is at a record low and China reported its first population decline in six decades in 2022.
The BBC’s population correspondent Stephanie Hegarty tells host Lucy Hockings that economic concerns are among the most important when it comes to individuals and couples deciding whether or not the time is right to have a baby, and discusses how the concept of “male malaise” is impacting fertility rates.
The video chapters are the following:
- 00:00 Global population and fertility rates
- 03:22 Predictions about the world's population
- 04:07 The cost of living
- 06:08 Social and cultural impacts
- 07:06 Do pro-family policies work?
- 08:20 Why are more young men childless?
- 09:59 Male malaise
- 11:12 How society views children
- 12:07 An ageing population
- 14:44 Is having children bad for the planet?
- 15:34 Policies aiming to change fertility rates
- 16:44 Is immigration a solution?
- 17:52 Is birthrate decline irreversible?
