About this episode
For decades, the great fear was overpopulation. Now it’s the opposite. How did this happen — and what’s being done about it? (Part one of a three-part series , “Cradle to Grave.”) SOURCES: Matthias Doepke , professor of economics at the London School of Economics. Amy Froide , professor of history at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Diana Laird , professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, San Francisco. Catherine Pakaluk , professor of economics at The Catholic University of America. RESOURCES: " Fertility Rate, Total for the United States ," (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, 2025). " Global fertility in 204 countries and territories, 1950–2021, with forecasts to 2100: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 ," (The Lancet, 2024). " Suddenly There Aren’t Enough Babies. The Whole World Is Alarmed ." by Greg Ip and Janet Adamy (The Wall Street Journal, 2024). " Taxing bachelors and proposing marriage lotteries – how superpowers addressed declining birthrates in the past ," by Amy Froide (University of Maryland, 2021). " Is Fertility a Leading Economic Indicator? " by Kasey Buckles, Daniel Hungerman, and Steven Lugauer (National Bureau of Economic Research, 2018). The King's Midwife: A History and Mystery of Madame du Coudray , by Nina Rattner Gelbart (1999). The Population Bomb , by Paul Ehrlich (1970). " An Economic Analysis of Fertility ," by Gary Becker (National Bureau of Economic Research, 1960). EXTRAS: " What Will Be the Consequences of the Latest Prenatal-Testing Technologies? " by Freakonomics Radio (2011). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.