The health and vitality of the culture and our communities almost exclusively correlate with the integrity and cohesiveness of home life. To put it simply, as goes the family, so goes the society. It’s that simple. Our problems are rooted in the dysfunction of the home.
But there is a related crisis that few beyond niche circles are discussing. It’s the declining birthrate, a devastating development that’s an issue we must address — or ignore at our peril. Students of history will tell you that while societies have long worried about many things, they’ve often concerned themselves with the wrong issues, and this is no exception.
You’re likely to find far more articles and commentaries warning about climate change than the developing “baby bust” — even though the lack of children is far more consequential than variable temperatures and the regular ebb and flow of weather.
Case in point: The U.S. fertility rate now sits at a record low, falling last year to 1.62 births per woman, down 2% from 2022. In fact, we haven’t been near the “replacement rate” of 2.1 for more than a decade.
For perspective, the United States hit a high of 3.75 births per woman in the 1950s. After the so-called “Baby Boom,” the rate declined into the 1970s before recovering until the late 2000s.
Originally published in the Washington Times. | 
