Op-ed: Immigration Cannot Solve the U.S. Birth Dearth

Like all other First World countries, the United States is experiencing a significant decline in fertility. President Trump has suggested paying Americans to increase the nation’s fertility rate. He is right to be concerned. Low fertility and increasing life expectancy are the two primary drivers of population aging. Some have argued that because immigrants tend to have more children, immigration can fix this problem. But the latest fertility data show that immigration has at most a small impact on birth rates.

When thinking about low fertility, it is important to note that America is by no means alone in facing this issue. In fact, almost all of the top immigrant-sending countries now have below replacement level fertility, including Mexico, China, India, and El Salvador. We are going to have to adjust to this new reality or figure out ways to encourage American couples to have more children. But whatever we decide, we need to recognize that immigration can do very little to address this issue.

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[Read the rest at The Tennessee Star]