Why are global and U.S. fertility rates plummeting? The global fertility rate has fallen from 5 births per woman in 1950 to 2.3 in 2021 - and even lower in the U.S., partly due to the cost of child-rearing and shifts in priorities. But "falling population and an elderly or aging population puts a lot of fiscal and economic pressures on society," says Economics Professor Melissa Kearney. "We're gonna fundamentally need a reorientation of society towards one that's much more family-friendly, more pro-kid." 5:32 • Source: CNN Stories worth watching 31 videos Why are global and U.S. fertility rates plummeting? 5:32 Now playing • Source: CNN Source: https://www.cnn.com/videos/health/2024/05/25/smr-fertility-rate-plummeting.cnn