The Incredible Shrinking Family
The U.S. birth rate has fallen by one-fifth in the past 15 years as women choose to have fewer children, or none at all. They are not alone. Birth rates have fallen to the point where the global population will start to decline in this century. In the U.S., the Baby Bust is already having a ripple effect in K-12 schools, on college admissions and for Social Security forecasts. In three reports by the Monitor’s Simon Montlake we look at a trend that is triggering major shifts in society.
