Why are fertility rates declining around the world?
Jan 26, 2025ir. Yvana van den HorkHair, nails & skin, Libido, Cell replication, Fertility, Lifestyle & fitness, Opinion, Woman, Man
Why are fertility rates declining around the world?
Anyone who has been following the news even a little bit, will have noticed the following contradiction: on one hand, our country is bursting at the seams due to the influx of migrant workers, foreign students and asylum seekers, while on the other hand, we have been reading about the doomsday scenario of a rapidly ageing population for a few decades already.
While we thought for the longest time this would mainly occur in countries where a true population explosion took place after the Second World War upon which this generation is rightly referred to as 'baby boomers', it now appears that this birth rate crash also applies to other parts of the world, with the exception of developing countries, where birth control measures are difficult to access, such as in Africa and parts of Asia.
Pieter Omtzigt recently pointed this out once more in a lecture, warning that we really need to start implementing policies to encourage couples to have more children.
The real shocker was hearing this past week in a podcast how the birth rate in China had dropped to just 0.5, although it was not clear to me whether this was per individual or per woman! China, the country where a very strict one-child policy was implemented for decades and people were punished if more children were born, is on its way to a full-blown population implosion.
There are even rumours how authorities in China are now trying in vain to increase the birth rate by ensuring that couples have more children by explicitly prohibiting birth control, you wonder how they are going to tackle this in Europe. On the other hand, the birth rate there is not even that low, it is mostly just below the replacement rate of 2.2 per woman.
Then I started wondering out loud how it could have come to this that one of the most natural instincts of a human being to reproduce could be so curtailed.
To be honest, we don't have children either! This was partly due to the fact that I was a happy single until the age of 40 while being the child of parents who married late as well and then did have children after all. Personally I always thought it was quite unfortunate and swore that it would not happen to me.
At the moment I have mixed feelings about it, but that's water under the bridge and cannot be undone. I am happy for my brother though, who has now become not only a bonus father but also a bonus grandfather thanks to his girlfriend.
Anyway, it does seem that birth rates have been declining faster in the last few years than before. I wondered if there were physical causes for this, besides social causes (due to the housing shortage, young people are living with their parents longer and longer) and social causes (climate doomsayers).
In the past, I sometimes heard my sweetheart say that fertility in men has declined, among other things, purely due to the fact that the optimal temperature for the scrotum is slightly lower than body temperature and that this became too high, especially due to wearing jeans and underwear that were too tight.
And then of course there is also the fact that one of the most reported side effects of the mRNA vaccine appears to have been a severely disrupted menstrual cycle.
So let's investigate both the declining fertility in men and in women.
Fertility rates in the US and UK are declining
In America, couples who are trying to conceive children are currently struggling. According to the National Institutes of Health, 9% of men and 11% of Americans are experiencing fertility problems. And it's not just America experiencing this public health issue. In the U.K., fertility rates have dropped to their lowest point in decades.
In a recent study published in British Medical Journal it was noted that the current fertility rate is at its lowest since 1938 in the U.K.
Using data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the findings show how the amount of births in 2023 is the lowest since 1977.
Placed into another context, the average total fertility rate (TFR) for 2023 was 1.44 children per woman. In 2022, the TFR was 1.49, down from 1.55 in 2021.
Those numbers are not the only concerning findings. The average age of new parents has also increased — 33.8 years for fathers and 30.9 for mothers, respectively. The largest childbearing age-group in decline was adults in their 20s.
Current population replacement rate will be unsustainable
What does this mean for the U.K., as well as other countries that have low birth rates? Eventually, their economies will suffer. Take, for example, the population decline currently happening in Japan. In 2008, their population peaked at 128 million, but by 2022, it declined to 125 million. If this trend continues, they will only have 63 million people by 2100.
From an economical perspective, the country's gross domestic product (GDP) will decline as the number of working-age citizens decrease. Small and medium businesses have already started closing because there are no successors. Social and public industries such as education and medicine have also started experiencing shortages in workers.
The only way to return the population growth to a growing scale is to encourage couples to have children, preferably two or more. As noted by the ONS:
"In the long-term, for countries with low mortality to maintain or grow their population without positive net migration, the total fertility rate needs to be around the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman or higher."
While having more children may seem like a simple solution, the barriers to growing a family are complex and deeply rooted in socioeconomic challenges. These include financial instability, skyrocketing housing costs, and the high price of childcare.
For those actively trying to conceive but facing difficulties, additional factors come into play. One significant, yet often overlooked, issue is the widespread use of plastics, which contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Over time, these materials also degrade into microplastics that accumulate in the body and disrupt the reproductive system, further complicating the path to parenthood.
Microplastics are a big factor of infertility
Microplastics are small pieces of plastic less than 5 millimeters long. They come from various sources, such as plastic bottles and bags, synthetic clothing and even in personal care products. According to a study published in Frontiers in Endocrinology, one big contributor to the world's declining infertility problems is the rise of plastic usage:
"It is noteworthy that an exponential rise in global plastic production coincides with a well-documented, population-wide decline in human sperm production which appears to be accelerating since 2000."
Reports indicate that microplastics end up everywhere in your body. For example, a group of University of New Mexico researchers noted that microplastics have been found in organs such the kidneys, liver and brain via the intestinal barrier.
Expectedly, microplastics are now in reproductive organs, too. In a study published in Science of the Total Environment, researchers noted that microplastics embedded into both men's and women's organs produce problems:
"In the reproductive system, microplastics interfere with the blood-testis barrier, impairing spermatogenesis in males, and causing placental dysfunction, ovarian atrophy, endometrial hyperplasia, and fibrosis in females. Moreover, microplastics potentially affect offspring's lipid metabolism and reproductive functions."
Based on these findings, the researchers believe that the chemicals that comprise microplastics are the reason for affecting fertility, noting that "microplastics disrupt the neuroendocrine system." That's because the majority of microplastics contain phthalates that leach out of the material, leading to the endocrine-disrupting problems. Other chemicals in microplastics include pesticides, forever chemicals and bisphenol A.
Much of the reason why microplastics affect fertility is because they are xenoestrogens, that mimic the effects of estrogen in your body. For example, phthalates belong to this category, and they've been linked to an increase in various diseases. As noted in a study published in Healthcare:
"Human epidemiological studies have shown a significant association between phthalates exposures and adverse reproductive outcomes in both women and men, for instance, Type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance, overweight/obesity, allergy and asthma."
How to reduce your exposure to microplastics
Based on the presented evidence, it's clear that minimizing your exposure to plastics will help protect your fertility. There are many strategies available that will easily fit into your lifestyle:
- Filter your tap water and avoid water bottled in plastic: if you need to buy bottled water, opt for glass bottles. Also, make sure the filter you use to purify your tap water can filter out microplastics.
- Boil hard tap water : if you have hard tap water, boil it before using it for cooking or drinking, as hard water traps more microplastics. Research15 shows boiling hard tap water for five minutes removes up to 90% of the microplastics in the water.
- Avoid plastic packaging: opt for products packaged in glass, metal or paper. This significantly reduces the amount of plastic that touch your food. At home, use wax paper, parchment paper or paper bags to store food rather than plastic wrap.
- Use reusable containers: replace single-use plastic bottles, cups and containers with reusable alternatives made from safer materials like stainless steel or glass.
- Never microwave plastics: heat causes plastics to leach chemicals into food. Use glass or ceramic containers for microwaving.
- Avoid plastic cutting boards: use a wooden or glass cutting board instead.
- Opt for natural fibers: whenever possible, choose clothing and other textile products made from natural fibers like organic cotton, wool and linen. Synthetic fabrics such as polyester shed microfibers and leach xenoestrogens.
- Wash synthetic clothes less frequently : when washing synthetic textiles, use a microfiber filter in your washing machine to trap synthetic fibers and prevent them from entering the water system.
- Opt for food-grade cosmetics and personal care products: some cosmetics, toothpastes and personal care products contain microbeads or other plastic particles. Look for products free of these materials. Ideally, opt for all-natural, food grade products.
Pay attention to your omega-6 and omega3 intake
Studies show that omega-3 fats help boost fertility. In one meta-analysis that reviewed eleven studies, researchers noted that "omega-3 intake significantly improves women's pregnancy and fertilization rates." In another example, omega-3 supplementation had a beneficial effect on male fertility:
"Supplementation with omega-3 fatty acid results in improvement of sperm concentration and total motile sperm count in infertile men with oligozoospermia."
For optimal results, focus on increasing your omega-3 intake while reducing omega-6 fats, particularly from vegetable oils.
Excessive consumption of linoleic acid (a type of omega-6 polyunsaturated fat, or PUFA) can harm cellular health and impair energy production.
To improve your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio, aim to keep linoleic acid intake below 5 grams per day and ideally below 2 grams. Meanwhile, include omega-3-rich foods like cold-water fish in your diet. Excellent options include wild-caught salmon, sardines, anchovies, mackerel, and herring. Be sure to choose fish from clean, sustainable sources for the best health benefits.
More strategies to boost fertility naturally
Many internal and external factors influence male and female fertility, but following these basic common-sense strategies and healthy lifestyle habits will help address the root of infertility. It is recommended to :
- Minimize your exposure to toxic chemicals : these include heavy metals, endocrine disruptors, pesticides and herbicides, formaldehyde, organic solvents, dry-cleaning chemicals and paint fumes. Again, remember to avoid plastics as much as possible as well.
- Avoid all vaccines, particularly mRNA shots: if you've already had one or more COVID-19 shots, there are steps you can take to repair from the assault on your system. The Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC) also has a treatment protocol for post-jab injuries. It's called I-RECOVER, and you can download it at Covid19CriticalCare.com.
- Avoid drinking unfiltered tap water: our waterways are constantly being polluted by industrial waste and byproducts (edit: even in Europe with stricter laws it may be worthwhile to use a water filter)
- Eat an optimal fertility diet: an optimal fertility diet is about what to avoid as much as it is about what to include. Eat REAL food, ideally organic, to avoid pesticide residues, and locally grown. Avoid factory-farmed animal products, ultraprocessed food and meals cooked in vegetable oil. Include soy products in this list as well, as soybeans contain phytoestrogens that act on hormones.
- It's also wise for men to add more sperm-enhancing foods to their diet, such as organic pastured eggs, bananas, asparagus, broccoli, pomegranates, garlic and all zinc-rich foods (zinc plays a key role in sperm development).
- Avoid common allergens: an overactive immune system attacks its own body cells, and the link between food intolerances and anti-sperm antibodies is well established, such as those with celiac disease.
- Minimize electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure: avoid carrying your cellphone on your body while it is on and avoid using laptops and tablets on your lap. Turn off your Wi-Fi off at night and make your bedroom an EMF-free zone.
- Get checked for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs): some STDs, like chlamydia, are asymptomatic. In men, chlamydia can lead to sperm abnormalities including sperm antibodies. In women, it can lead to scarring, blocked tubes and miscarriage.
- Avoid coffee, smoking and alcohol: while organic coffee has several health benefits, fertility does not appear to be one of them. On the contrary, studies suggest it decreases fertility. Alcohol, smoking and recreational drugs also adversely affect fertility, reducing the size of your testes and lowering your sperm count.
- Get regular exercise: according to research, exercising helps boost men's sperm count.
- Normalize your weight: obesity contributes to infertility in both men and women. Normalizing weight helps improve sperm quality and quantity in men and augment a woman's chances of getting pregnant, in part by normalizing menstrual cycles.
- Reduce stress : get enough sleep, as it's an important factor in combating stress. Incorporate yoga or meditation to address stress.
- Clean up your home environment : use natural cleaning products or make your own.
Summary
Declining global fertility rates: globally, fertility rates are dropping, leading to concerns about aging populations and economic impacts, particularly highlighted in countries like the UK, Japan, and China. China, once enforcing a one-child policy, now faces a population implosion with a birth rate as low as 0.5 per woman or individual.
Causes and trends: social factors like housing shortages, delayed parenthood, and economic instability play roles. Physical factors include potential impacts from tight clothing, vaccines (specifically mRNA vaccines), and environmental contaminants like microplastics. In the UK, fertility rates are at their lowest since 1938, with the average age for parents increasing.
Health and environmental impact: microplastics, found in many everyday products, are linked to infertility by disrupting reproductive systems in both men and women through endocrine disruption. Increasing exposure to chemicals like phthalates from plastics correlates with rising infertility issues.
Recommendations: encouraging higher birth rates through policy remains a challenge due to socioeconomic barriers.
Recommendations include reducing exposure to plastics, avoiding hormone-disrupting chemicals, maintaining a healthy diet rich in omega-3s, and lifestyle changes like regular exercise, stress reduction, and avoiding substances like alcohol and tobacco that harm fertility.
Policy and personal actions: there's a call for policies to encourage childbirth, but also a need for individuals to adopt lifestyle changes to enhance fertility, including minimizing environmental toxin exposure and optimizing health practices.
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