Why there are so many 'childless cat ladies'

Why many Americans are not having families

What you probably already know: There’s been much talk in the last week about “childless cat ladies,” after Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance suggested the nation was run by women who are “hate normal Americans” for choosing the family life. The comments started off a wave of vitriol aimed at women who have not had children, while also prompting many of those women to proudly proclaim their childless cat lady-hood (you can even buy shirts now). But it also prompted many to ask: Why aren’t Americans having children as much as they used to?

Why? The birth rate in the U.S. has dropped to 1.6 births per 1,000 women, an historic low. At that rate, we aren’t replacing the population, which can hinder economic growth and even plunge a country into recession. So why aren’t people having kids? Anyone with kids can probably answer that pretty easily: Kids are expensive and getting more so by the moment. Many child care centers closed during the pandemic, which has left a shortage and driven up prices. In heavily populated areas, childcare is running at nearly 20% of median family income in those areas according to the U.S. Census.

What it means: That has prompted many couples to wait to have children until they can afford them. But even when they try to wait it out, costs remain high. In Washington state, infant child care is $14,554 a year and in Massachusetts, it’s $20,913. For many families, that’s completely unattainable, especially if they have multiple children. A recent Pew Research Center survey showed that the percentage of people under 50 who said they’d never have children has gone up 10% since 2018. And that’s just childcare. It doesn’t take into account the rising cost of food and other necessities. The cost of diapers has gone up 22% since 2018, for example.

What happens now? In 2017, a study estimated it cost $233,610 to raise a child from infancy to 17, and as any parent knows, the financial responsibilities rarely end when your kid turns 17. Research suggests that when countries or regions subsidize the cost of child care, fertility rates increase. But that’s not the only benefit. It also reduces criminality in the area, benefits the economy, and improves health outcomes for mothers.

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