Fertility Experts Publish New Research Highlighting Declining Fertility Rate, Causes and Global Impacts

December 11, 2025

For Immediate Release

Washington, DC – Fertility and Sterility, the flagship publication of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), has published a new series examining the global decline in fertility rates. The research highlights how birth rates have fallen sharply over the past 50 years, explores the social, environmental, and economic forces behind the trend, and warns of its potential long-term impacts on population stability and global economic growth.

The four articles each analyze a different dimension of this issue, from the causes of declining fertility to how it could reshape economies and societies in the decades ahead:

• Epidemiology of Falling Fertility: The Contribution of Social, Environmental, and Genetic Forces, by Robert John Aitken, Ph.D. and Robert John Norman, M.D.: This article explores the major forces behind the worldwide decline in fertility in the last half century, including rising education levels and workforce participation among women, changing societal expectations, economic pressures, and shifts in how people view family and life goals.
• The Economic Consequences of a Childless World, by David Duhamel, Ph.D.: This study examines the consequences of low fertility and an aging population on the global economy, exploring how diminishing fertility rates across the globe will impact everything from health care costs to real estate value and hinder sustained economic growth. 
• The ‘‘Baby Bust’’: Awareness of the Gap Between Desired and Actual Family Size, by Dominique de Ziegler, M.D., Ph.D., Natascha Braumann, M.D.,Sokteang Sean, M.D., and James P. Toner, M.D., Ph.D.: This study examines the “fertility gap,” a phenomenon characterized by couples ending up with a smaller family size than initially intended. It explores factors such as delayed parenthood, age-related fertility decline, and socioeconomic barriers to parenthood and their impact on family size. 
• Depopulation Globally and in the Asia-Pacific: The Shape of Things to Come, by Nicholas Eberstadt, Ph.D.: This article warns that the advent of global population decline may come earlier than commonly anticipated due to rapidly falling birth rates and explains how sustained low fertility levels could lead to significant social, economic, and political challenges, particularly in regions already approaching or below replacement-level birth rates. 

The average global fertility rate in 2024 was 2.2 births per woman, down from 5 in the 1960s and 3.3 in 1990, and is projected to continue to decline, putting us at risk of falling below replacement level of 2.1 within the next 75 years. Such a shift would have profound implications for population stability and economic growth across the globe.

Together, this series enhances ASRM’s understanding of the causes and long-term consequences of declining fertility. By providing clear, evidence-based research and a forward-looking analysis, the authors offer critical insights that can help shape policy discussions, guide public awareness, and inform future efforts to support individuals and families in a changing demographic landscape.

Read the full series, “Coping with fertility decline: tackling the new reproductive challenge”