(DCNF)—The U.S. is currently facing a continuously worsening fertility crisis, according to analysts.
While the nation’s fertility rate has been declining for decades, it dropped to a new record low in 2025. Experts told the Daily Caller News Foundation that deregulation, improving fertility care and bringing down costs related to raising children could help boost the declining birth rate.
The U.S. general fertility rate was 53.1 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44 in 2025, down from 53.8 in 2024, according to National Center for Health Statistics data published in April.
“While there are many factors contributing to the declining birth rate, three reasons stand out to me: First, there is the influence of smart phones and social media,” Heritage Foundation Senior Policy Analyst Emma Water told the DCNF. “Since the introduction of the iPhone, [every] country has seen a marked decline in births that doesn’t look like it is reversing any time soon, including the U.S. … we are seeing more men and women replace meaningful time with others with scrolling, screen addictions, or a sense that there is too much to be done.”
“Second, we cannot discount the role of abortion, birth control, and reproductive technologies,” Waters said. “While we can have a meaningful conversation about the morality of each separately, the statistics don’t lie: The last year that the birth rate was above replacement was 1972, and since the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade erroneously created a constitutional right to abortion in 1973, the birth rate has never recovered.”
Waters added that a drop in U.S. marriage rates is one of the “primary drivers of declining birth rates.”
The U.S. marriage rate dropped to a 140-year low in 2019 and has yet to fully bounce back, The New York Times reported. Less than half of American households were married couples in 2025, marking a significant decrease from 50 years earlier, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
Prioritizing infertility treatment and early diagnosis could help boost the U.S. fertility rate, according to Waters.
“The first is to promote restorative reproductive medicine, or root cause care for infertility and reproductive health conditions, something that is part of the Trump administration’s ‘Excepted Fertility Benefits’ Department of Labor rule, but will require far greater effort and support to build out sufficiently,” she explained. “Rates of infertility are on the rise [among] Americans in the last two decades, and the delay in diagnosis and treatment for conditions such as endometriosis and male-factor infertility has made it much harder for Americans to receive the care they need to conceive children.”
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz claimed during a May 11 White House event that part of the U.S. population is currently “underbabied.” Meanwhile, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently warned that the nation’s declining birth rate has become an “existential crisis” which poses a “threat” to the economy and national security.
The pregnancy-related mortality ratio in the U.S. rose 22.8% between 2000 and 2009 before stabilizing at about 660 deaths per year, according to a July 2025 Commonwealth Fund report. The report also found the total number of deaths nearly doubled between 2019 and 2021, reaching 1,222, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Many people now prefer smaller families because of the opportunity costs: children compete with careers, leisure, consumption, and lifestyle flexibility, leading many people to choose fewer kids,” Cato Institute Policy Analyst Chelsea Follett told the DCNF. “Shifting the cost-benefit calculus toward larger families requires increasing the value people place on having children or reducing the costs of raising them.”
“Baby bonuses and other direct government payments are the wrong response to falling birth rates,” Follett said. “Evidence from abroad shows that such family subsidies yield only modest gains at enormous fiscal cost. Research suggests that raising U.S. fertility by just 0.2 births per woman could require around $250 billion in annual subsidies, roughly equal to the U.S. Army’s annual budget. And without deregulation of family-related goods and services, subsidies risk being absorbed into higher prices. A better approach is deregulatory reform to lower the cost of the goods and services that families rely on.”
Many Americans have been grappling with major affordability challenges related to raising children. The average 18-year cost of raising a child rose to $303,418 in 2024 after tax exemptions and credits, according to a LendingTree analysis.
The Trump administration has announced several new initiatives aiming to provide resources and benefits for American families in recent months. It unveiled a new proposed rule on May 10 that would create “a new category of limited excepted benefits to further expand the ability of employers to offer meaningful fertility benefits to their employees.”
President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act created new tax-advantaged savings and investment accounts for U.S. children called Trump Accounts, according to a White House fact sheet.
Additionally, HHS launched Moms.gov on May 10, a new online resource aiming to offer “guidance and information to support the health and well-being of mothers and their families.”
“Through the newly launched Moms.gov, HHS provides resources for couples planning to start or grow their families, including preconception health information and educational materials on fertility awareness-based methods (FABMs),” an agency spokesperson told the DCNF in a statement on Thursday. “Additionally, as stated in the MAHA Strategy, HHS will launch a MAHA education campaign to improve health and fertility in women and men looking to start a family. This will influence adolescent health through early adoption of lifestyles that help avoid the development of root cause issues that impact adult fertility.”
“The Office of Population Affairs released a Title X Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for 2027 that includes a focus on addressing infertility for men and women,” the spokesperson added. “The NOFO acknowledges the nation’s growing infertility crisis and provides an outline for services that may assist with addressing this crisis.”
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].
Starting the Day With a Scripture-Inspired Roast Helps Center Your Thoughts on Eternal Truths Amid Temporal Pressures
The world can seem chaotic, especially right after we wake up. Many believers start their mornings reaching for something familiar — a hot cup of coffee — yet end up settling for mediocre brews that do little more than deliver a caffeine jolt. The daily grind of life, with its endless distractions, news cycles, and responsibilities, can leave even the most faithful feeling spiritually parched alongside their physical fatigue. What if your morning ritual could do more than wake you up? What if it could ground you in truth, nourish your body with exceptional quality, and quietly advance a kingdom purpose at the same time?
That’s the promise — and the reality — behind Promised Grounds Coffee. This Christian-founded company doesn’t just roast beans; it approaches every step as an act of worship and discipleship. By selecting only the top 10% of specialty-grade beans, ethically sourced from dedicated farmers in Central and South America, and small-batch roasting them with reverence in Austin, Texas, Promised Grounds delivers what many describe as the best coffee available — never burnt, never bland, but rich with origin stories and layered flavors that honor God’s creation.
From the vibrant Psalm 27 Roast (a light, bright medium option) to the bold yet peaceful 2 Timothy 1:7 Decaf, each bag carries a Scripture verse that turns your daily pour into a gentle reminder of faith. And through their Ounce Per Ounce Promise, every ounce of coffee you enjoy provides an equal ounce of clean water to families in need via partnership with Filter of Hope — literally brewing hope for body and soul, one cup at a time.
The challenge for today’s Christians runs deeper than finding a decent cup. In an age of convenience-driven consumerism, it’s easy to support companies that dilute values or remain silent on matters of faith. Many believers want their everyday choices — from what they drink to how they spend — to reflect discipleship rather than just convenience. Promised Grounds solves this by weaving Christian excellence into the entire process: beans nurtured with prayerful stewardship by farming families, roasted as an offering rather than a commodity, and packaged with Bible verses to encourage a mindset of gratitude and purpose from the first sip. Reviewers consistently praise the smooth, rich profiles — whether enjoyed black in a drip maker, iced on a warm day, or shared in fellowship — noting how the quality stands toe-to-toe with premium secular brands while delivering something far more meaningful.
This integration of faith and flavor addresses a real need in Christian households and ministries. Busy parents, church leaders, and remote workers alike report that starting the day with a Scripture-inspired roast helps center their thoughts on eternal truths amid temporal pressures. The coffee’s exceptional character — bright citrus notes in lighter roasts or deep chocolate undertones in bolder ones — comes from meticulous selection and careful roasting that respects the bean’s natural gifts rather than masking them. It’s the kind of coffee that elevates a simple quiet time, fuels productive workdays, or sparks meaningful conversations when shared at Bible studies or outreach events. And because it’s ethically sourced with integrity, every purchase supports sustainable livelihoods for farmers who treat their crops like family harvests.
For those leading churches or small groups, the impact multiplies. Promised Grounds offers bundles and options perfect for hospitality ministries, turning ordinary coffee service into an opportunity to point people toward the living water of Christ. Imagine greeting visitors with a warm cup whose very bag carries God’s Word — a subtle yet powerful witness that aligns with the Great Commission. The company’s Texas roots and commitment to “brewing hope” resonate especially with believers who value American enterprise paired with global compassion.
Of course, quality alone isn’t enough if the experience feels out of reach. Promised Grounds keeps it accessible with practical perks like free shipping on orders over $40, sample sets for discovering favorites, and thoughtful add-ons such as faith-themed mugs. Whether you prefer whole beans for fresh grinding, grounds for convenience, or even bulk options for larger households and ministries, the result is consistently superior coffee that makes discipleship feel integrated rather than added on.
As you consider how to align even the smallest habits with your walk with God, Promised Grounds Coffee stands out as a refreshing solution. It tackles the dual problems of subpar daily sustenance and disconnected consumption by offering a product that genuinely excels in taste while advancing a mission of clean water, farmer dignity, and scriptural encouragement. Believers who make the switch often describe it as more than a beverage upgrade — it becomes part of their rhythm of gratitude, a daily invitation to remember that every good gift comes from above.
If you’re ready to transform your mornings (and perhaps your church gatherings) with coffee that honors both exceptional craftsmanship and Christian values, I encourage you to explore what Promised Grounds has to offer. One sip at a time, you’ll be nourishing your body, refreshing your spirit, and participating in something far greater — all while enjoying what truly is among the best coffee available.