Family Smart Stories
Family data stories about fertility rates, demographic shifts, and the changing American household.
The 56% Fertility Cliff: The Vanishing American Family
Family • Fertility • Demographics • Economics • Parenting
In 1960, the average American woman had 3.65 children. In 2023, that number is 1.62 children. A 56% drop in one lifetime. Americans say they want 2.3 children but have 1.6. That gap isn't cultural preference. It's economic constraint. Housing, childcare, and dual-income requirements turned family size into a financial calculation.
The 0.7 child gap between what Americans want and what they have isn't cultural. It's economic. When we make family formation affordable, families form. The question isn't whether people want children. It's whether we'll remove the barriers that stop them.