Over half of Americans now say fewer people choosing to have children would negatively affect the country, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. The share of adults who see declining births as harmful has risen to 53%, up six points from last year.
Despite this, most Americans do not want the federal government to play a role in encouraging higher birth rates. A majority, 56%, believe the government should have no role at all.
Shifts across gender and political lines
Among men, 59% now say fewer people having children would negatively impact the country, up from 54% last year. Among women, the share rose from 42% to 48%.
Partisan divides are also evident. The share of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents who see fewer births as a problem increased from 37% to 44%. Among Republicans and Republican leaners, the rise was smaller, from 60% to 63%.
Still, when asked about the role of government, women are more likely than men to oppose involvement. Sixty-three percent of women say the government should not play any role, compared with 48% of men.
A gender gap also exists within both parties. Republican women (58%) and Democratic women (68%) favor no government role, compared with 45% of Republican men and 51% of Democratic men.
Support for policies to encourage childbearing
For the minority who believe the government should play a role, certain policies received strong support.
The most popular measure is expanding tax credits for parents, favored by 82% of adults in this group. More than six in ten would support requiring employers to provide paid family leave or making child care free.
Smaller majorities back health insurance coverage for fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization, and campaigns to raise awareness of how fertility declines with age.
The only measure with less than majority support is monthly cash payments to parents of minor children.
Policy preferences split by party
Both Republicans and Democrats who favor some government involvement agree on tax credits for parents, with about eight in ten in each group supporting them. They also show similar levels of support for public campaigns on fertility awareness.
But sharp differences emerge elsewhere. Democrats are far more likely than Republicans to support paid family leave (85% vs. 67%), free child care (84% vs. 48%), and insurance coverage for fertility treatments (71% vs. 48%). A majority of Democrats also favor monthly payments to parents (56%), compared with 31% of Republicans.
The debate over pronatalism
The findings come amid growing debate over the pronatalist movement, which calls for policies to increase the U.S. birth rate. While more Americans now express concern about the impact of declining births, the survey shows limited appetite for government intervention.
For now, tax relief, family leave, and child care remain the most widely supported policies among those who want action.
