The total fertility rate in the U.S. currently stands at 1.6, significantly below the replacement rate of 2.1 needed for population stability. This decline in birth rates has triggered a political debate surrounding potential actions to address the issue. The fertility rate is reflective of numerous personal choices made by families, highlighting the intimate decisions regarding childbearing. The discussions surrounding these statistics emphasize the broader implications of changing demographics in American society.
The total fertility rate is a small number with big consequences. It measures how many babies, on average, each woman will have over her lifetime.
For a population to remain stable, women, on average, have to have 2.1 kids. In the U.S., that number is 1.6, and dropping.
Beneath that demographic data point are millions of families making intimate decisions about kids, driving a new political debate about what can be done about it.
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