Why Americans aren’t having as many kids
From Reasonably Optimistic by The Washington Post
April 29, 2026 · 34 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the complexities behind America's declining birth rate with economist Lyman Stone.
From politicians to Silicon Valley, a growing chorus is sounding the alarm and calling for more babies. But the story behind America’s declining birth rate is more complicated than headlines and political talking points suggest. Is this just a temporary trend, or something deeper — and what does it mean for the kind of society we’re building? Host Megan McArdle is joined by economist and demographer Lyman Stone to discuss what’s really driving the decline in birth rates — from delayed marriage to cultural shifts and rising anxiety about the future. Subscribe to The Washington Post here .
People in this episode
Host: Megan McArdle
Guest: Lyman Stone
Topics covered
- birth rate
- demography
- cultural shifts
- marriage trends
- anxiety about the future
Keywords
- birth rate
- decline
- marriage
- cultural shifts
- anxiety
- demography
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Washington Post
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