As women have far fewer babies, the U.S. and the world face unprecedented challenges

As women have far fewer babies, the U.S. and the world face unprecedented challenges

toggle caption ‎‎‎‎‎Grace Widyatmadja for NPR

When Sarah and Ben Brewington got married and moved to Los Angeles, they expected their next life step would be having kids. It just seemed like the natural thing to do. Instead, they kept delaying their first child, focusing on their careers, enjoying travel and spending time with friends.

"I started thinking, 'What do I want?'" Sarah Brewington said. Gradually, they reached a decision: "It's a resounding no. It's not something I'm interested in or want," she said.

"This life we're building together didn't need this other element in it," agreed her husband, Ben Brewington. "I don't feel guilty at all about it now to say I don't want kids."

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The Brewingtons, both age 35, say they understand they are part of a wider trend. Far more people in the U.S. and around the world are choosing to have significantly fewer children or opting out of parenthood altogether.

toggle caption Grace Widyatmadja for NPR

"I think it probably should be a concern for the government, the declining birth rate," Sarah Brewington told NPR. "There is going to come a time when everyone is retiring and there's not going to be a workforce."

Many researchers believe this accelerating global shift is being driven in large part by a positive reality. Young couples, and women in particular, have far more freedom and economic independence. They're weighing their options and appear to be making very different choices about the role of children in their lives.

"It's not that people don't like kids as much as they used to," said Melissa Kearney, an economist who studies fertility and population trends at the University of Notre Dame. "There's just a lot of other available options. They can invest in their careers, take more leisure time — it's much more socially acceptable."

This change in decision-making and behavior appears to be accelerating. New research from the United Nations found that the number of children born to the average woman worldwide has reached the lowest point ever recorded.