I know a lot of Americans might not realize this, but the majority of babies being born come from younger women between the ages of 16 to 26. If economic circumstances are such that it becomes difficult for women in the younger age demographic to have babies and begin families, it's going to have a very profound impact on the overall birth rates for the country. In 2004, the median age at which women in the U.S. gave birth to their first child was 24.9 years of age. I suspect the housing affordability issue in the U.S. is having a huge impact on the birth rates. If it becomes financially difficult for younger women to start new families, the average birth rate for the country is going to go way down.
