(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].
Safeguarding Your American Dream: Discover the Power of America First Healthcare
In today’s economy, healthcare costs remain one of the biggest threats to financial stability and family security. Americans work hard to build a better life, yet rising medical expenses can quickly erode savings, force tough trade-offs, and even push families toward debt or bankruptcy. Medical bills continue to rank as the leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the United States, with millions facing underinsurance or unexpected out-of-pocket burdens that no one plans for. Many turn to government-run marketplace plans under the Affordable Care Act, hoping for relief, only to discover that what appears affordable on paper often delivers higher long-term costs, limited real protection, and coverage that may not align with personal values or family needs.
America First Healthcare stands out as a private insurance agency dedicated to helping conservatives and families secure better coverage and better rates through customized, values-aligned options. By conducting free insurance reviews, the agency uncovers hidden gaps in existing policies and connects clients with private alternatives that emphasize personal responsibility, small-government principles, and genuine affordability—often delivering up to 20% savings while providing stronger protection for the American Dream.
The allure of marketplace plans is easy to understand: open enrollment periods, premium tax credits for many households, and the promise of “comprehensive” benefits mandated by law. Yet recent data reveals a different reality, especially after the expiration of enhanced premium subsidies at the end of 2025. Enrollment for 2026 dropped by more than one million people compared to the prior year, with many shifting to lower-tier bronze plans to keep monthly premiums manageable.
These plans feature significantly higher deductibles—averaging around $7,500 nationally—and greater cost-sharing requirements. Families who once paid modest amounts after subsidies now face average premium increases of $65 or more per month, even as they accept plans that leave them responsible for thousands in upfront costs before meaningful coverage kicks in.
High deductibles create a dangerous barrier to care. Studies show that people in such plans are less likely to seek timely treatment for chronic conditions, attend preventive screenings, or fill necessary prescriptions. A seemingly minor illness or injury can balloon into major expenses when patients delay care until problems worsen. For a family of four, a single hospitalization, cancer diagnosis, or unexpected surgery can easily exceed the deductible, triggering coinsurance and out-of-pocket maximums that still leave substantial bills. One recent analysis noted that some proposed changes could push family deductibles toward $31,000 in future years, further exposing households to financial risk.
Beyond the numbers, marketplace plans often carry structural limitations. Coverage for certain critical services may include waiting periods or narrower networks that restrict access to preferred doctors and specialists. Preventive care is required to be covered without cost-sharing, but everything else—lab work, imaging, specialist visits, or ongoing treatment—typically waits until the deductible is met. This reactive model contrasts sharply with the proactive, holistic approach many families prefer, especially those focused on wellness, early intervention, and maintaining health to enjoy life rather than merely reacting to illness.
Values alignment represents another growing concern. Government-influenced plans operate within a framework shaped by federal mandates and political priorities that may not reflect conservative principles of limited government, personal freedom, and ethical stewardship. Families who want to direct their healthcare dollars toward providers and benefits that honor traditional values sometimes find marketplace options feel misaligned, forcing a compromise between affordability and conviction.
Private alternatives, by contrast, offer year-round flexibility without the restrictions of open enrollment windows. Independent agents can shop across a wider range of carriers to design plans tailored to specific family needs—whether that means lower deductibles for frequent medical users, broader provider networks, or add-ons that support wellness and preventive services from day one. Clients frequently report more stable premiums that do not automatically escalate each year, along with genuine cost savings once the full picture of deductibles, copays, and coverage depth is considered.
Take the experience of real families who made the switch. Amanda C. shared that her new plan felt “way better” than what she had through the marketplace. Johnny Y. noted his previous coverage kept increasing annually until he found a more stable private option. Sofia S. expressed delight with her plan and began recommending it to others. These stories echo a common theme: when families move beyond one-size-fits-all government marketplaces, they often discover customized protection that better safeguards both health and finances.
Founder Jordan Sarmiento’s own journey underscores the stakes. In 2021, a six-day hospitalization generated a $95,000 bill. Under a well-structured private “Conservative Care Coverage” plan, his out-of-pocket responsibility would have been just $500. That stark difference illustrates how thoughtful planning and private options can prevent a medical event from becoming a financial catastrophe.
Practical steps exist for anyone questioning their current coverage. Start with a no-obligation review of your existing policy to identify gaps—high deductibles, limited critical-care benefits, or escalating premiums. Compare total projected costs (premiums plus potential out-of-pocket expenses) rather than monthly premiums alone. Consider family health history, anticipated needs, and lifestyle priorities. Private agencies can present side-by-side options that include stronger wellness incentives, broader access, and plans built on shared values of self-reliance and freedom.
In an era when healthcare inflation continues to outpace general cost-of-living increases, relying solely on marketplace solutions carries growing risk. Families who proactively explore private alternatives frequently achieve meaningful savings while gaining peace of mind that their coverage truly works when needed most.
America First Healthcare makes this exploration straightforward through its free review process. Families and individuals receive personalized guidance to close coverage holes, reduce unnecessary expenses, and secure plans that align with conservative principles—protecting wallets, health, and the American Dream without government overreach. Many who complete a review discover they can enjoy better benefits for less, often saving up to 20% while gaining the customization and stability that marketplace plans struggle to deliver.
Ultimately, protecting your family’s future requires looking beyond the marketing of “affordable” government options. By understanding the long-term costs hidden in high deductibles, shifting coverage tiers, and values mismatches, Americans can make empowered choices. Private, values-driven insurance offers a smarter path—one that rewards diligence, supports wellness, and delivers real security. For those ready to move beyond the limitations of traditional marketplace plans, a simple review can reveal options designed to serve families, not bureaucracies. The American Dream thrives when individuals and families retain control over their healthcare decisions, and thoughtful private coverage plays a vital role in making that possible.