Population growth support: Delving deeper into the perspective, some advocates simply find the idea of increased birth rates appealing
In a world where the birth rate is plummeting, the concept of pronatalism – the belief that it is important to have children to increase a country's population – has become a hot topic of discussion.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church declares that the family is the original cell of social life and that it is necessary for the hard work of having children. This sentiment is shared by many, including tech industrialist Elon Musk, who has openly declared that the low birth rate is a significant problem and that civilization will disappear if it continues.
However, the issue is not just a religious or individual concern. Economists and sociologists also voice their concerns about the declining birth rate. Economic or structural pronatalism believes that low fertility is a problem because babies are necessary for economic growth, Social Security, military service, and the labor force. Communitarian pronatalism views low fertility as a problem because it threatens the perpetuation of communities considered valuable.
Lyman Stone, senior fellow and director of the Pronatalism Initiative at the Institute for Family Studies, defines pronatalism as the belief that low fertility is not desirable. He suggests that Catholics could do more to improve the declining birth rate, encouraging bishops and priests to boldly preach pronatalism, while the laity should seek to cultivate the virtues required to live pronatally.
Yet, not everyone is in agreement. A significant portion of Americans think that the world has too many babies, while others fear that discussing the birth rate could lead to forced pregnancies and the violation of women's rights. Patrick Brown, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, states that the legacy of the population bomb myth still lingers over the discussion about pronatalism.
The declining birth rate is a global phenomenon, with countries like India, the Philippines, South Korea, and even Europe experiencing low birth rates. In Europe, fertility rates are comparable to the U.S., with countries like France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, and Italy having rates below 1.7 babies per woman. In contrast, the countries with the highest rates of children born per woman are in Africa, with Chad, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, and Niger having rates above 5.79.
However, the issue is not just about numbers. The low birthrate is viewed as problematic due to demographic challenges such as an aging population, risks to pension systems, and workforce shortages. Financial insecurity, difficulties reconciling work and family, insufficient societal support for mothers, and uncertainties caused by crises (e.g., pandemic, war, economic instability) discourage childbearing. Inadequate childcare, housing affordability, and political inaction also contribute to declining birthrates and raise concerns about societal sustainability.
Plain apathy is another challenge for pronatalism. There is a cultural shift that views having children as a matter of individual preference and not a social value. This shift is evident in the six seasons of "The Handmaid's Tale" on Hulu and Margaret Atwood's novel of the same title, which depict a totalitarian and theocratic state that replaces the United States of America, where women are forced into sexual servitude to repopulate the world.
As the debate over pronatalism continues, it is clear that finding a solution to the declining birth rate is a complex issue that requires a nuanced approach. It is a challenge that requires the cooperation of governments, religions, and individuals to ensure the sustainability of our societies for future generations.
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