We’re Heading for an America with Fewer Americans

Added: 2026-04-29

[00:00:00]America's family model has changed from early and often to less and later. In 1970, about 72% of American adults were married. Today, it's less than half. Um, in 1970, the median age of first marriage was about 23 for a man, 21 for a woman. Today, it's 31 and 28 respectively. The total fertility, which people focus on a lot, right? Family size has gotten smaller. Again, it was about 3.65 65 50 years ago, it's about 1.6 today. But 40% of American children today are born out of wedlock compared to 8% in 1965. So the numbers are all going in the wrong directions.

[00:00:41]>> Um so again, what's at stake is an America with far fewer Americans. And all of you know how important family is.

[00:00:47]You you see it in your own lives. Think about future generations of Americans, American adults who don't know what it feels like to become a grandparent.

[00:00:56]children who don't know what it feels like to have either siblings or first cousins.