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Freakonomics Radio · 2026-11-13 · 56 min · 9,680 words

695. Can the U.S. Close Its Fertility Gap?

Listen to the original audio · Transcribed with NVIDIA Parakeet · Why times can differ in your player

Fifty years ago, one of the biggest fears facing humankind was overpopulation with predictions of widespread famine and death. Today, one of the biggest fears Is the opposite. The fertility crisis, as it's usually called, although it's not always clear exactly whom it's a crisis for. It is true that the global fertility rate has fallen by more than half.

since nineteen seventy. Why? There are many reasons, some of them quite unsettling. Really low desired family size is a strong indicator that there is a deep, deep pessimism about the future of a society. But tucked inside the fertility crisis, you will find another unsettling reality.

a fertility gap. Not having the kids you want to have makes you quite sad. It usually is a story of miscarriage, infertility, disappointment, broken relationships. Today on Freakonomics Radio, the fertility gap will lead us to some interesting places from The mechanics of fertility?

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