The global decline in birth rates doesn't affect all political sectors equally. According to a report published by the Financial Times, the collapse in the birth rate is "overwhelmingly driven by the left." The study, based on data from the US General Social Survey, the World Values Survey and the work of anthropologist Martin Fieder (2018), reveals that the average number of children among progressives is steadily decreasing, both in the United States and in the developed world.
By the numbers: In the US, since 1980 the gap between conservatives and progressives has widened drastically. While the former still average 2.4 children per adult over 35 years (77 pounds), the latter have dropped to just 1.8 children.
In developed countries, the trend is similar: progressive birth rates fell to 1.6 children in 2020, well below the population replacement level, while conservative birth rates remain close to 2 children.
The paradox is clear. As the report explains, "by ceding the issue of family and children to the right, progressives risk paving the way for a more conservative world." That is, each generation born under these conditions leans more to the right due to a simple demographic factor.
