Falling Birthrates in Wisconsin Could Lead to Shrinking Workforce and Other Issues

Wednesday, April 19th, 2023 -- 12:00 PM

(By Madison Lammert, Appleton Post-Crescent | Jeff Bollier, Green Bay Press-Gazette) The idyllic American family conjures up images of a home in 1950s suburbia, a white picket fence, a golden retriever and 2.5 kids.

According to Madison Lammert with the Appleton Post-Crescent and Jeff Bollier with the Green Bay Press-Gazette, the United States’ total fertility rate indicates that, for the U.S. to sustain its current population, women need to have an average of 2.1 children.

If that birthrate isn't sustained, the country risks a shrinking workforce, economic decline and a dwindling tax base. Those risks have turned into reality.  The United States’ total fertility rate is now 1.7 kids and falling.

Almost half of non-parent adults tell the Pew Research Center they will likely not have any children. Northeastern Wisconsin families understand why. They know the persistent struggle to afford everything from diapers to housing.

It now costs $310,600 to raise a child from birth to age 18, a 9.1 percent increase from five years ago, according to The Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C. nonprofit public policy organization.

One challenge has become particularly severe: Child care. The Economic Policy Institute found that a year of infant care can cost Wisconsinites more than tuition at a public college.

Families have started to plan pregnancies around the availability of care, as they encounter years-long wait lists at child care centers.

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