Written by Olivia Nater | Published: September 14, 2026
The Guardian editorial board recently published some thoughts on falling birthrates. We responded with a letter, which they didn’t publish, so we are featuring it here.
We encourage all our members and supporters to make their voices heard! See our media guide for advice on how to do that.
Re: The Guardian view on falling birthrates: cash alone cannot buy belonging
The Guardian’s editorial board attributes falling birthrates to “loss of confident belonging” – this could also be described as growing uncertainty. Young people lack both financial security and confidence in the future.
Population Connection’s own survey on Americans’ family size aspirations and outcomes revealed that concern over the state of the world is a leading limiting factor.
In a New York Times op-ed, author Anna Louie Sussman put it this way: young people have an “inescapable and crushing sense that the future is too uncertain for the lifelong commitment of parenthood. Call it the vibes theory of demographic decline.”
While it’s important to note that global fertility decline is overall a success story of women gaining more decision power over their bodies and lives, sustained very low fertility seems to be a response to the “polycrisis” – today’s many interrelated existential risks and predicaments, including climate breakdown, the sixth mass extinction, widening inequality, the mental health and loneliness epidemics, increasing polarization, and the risks of runaway AI and nuclear devastation.
Indeed, young people are not ok, and should be lauded for practicing considerate, thoughtful family planning.
Gradual population decline driven by choice could also alleviate many aspects of the polycrisis. Rather than blindly aiming to increase birthrates in an already overburdened world on the brink of collapse, governments should work to bring about a safer, healthier future in which people can feel good about having children.
Sincerely,
Olivia Nater
Communications Manager
Population Connection
