Why fertility and birth rates are falling - The Global Story podcast, BBC World Service

The proportion of people without children is growing around the world. Why?

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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 US, 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.

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?

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