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iPhone Use Explains Up to 52% U.S. Fertility Drop

7/5/2026

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Story summary
  • Researchers from the National Bureau of Economic Research report iPhone diffusion explains 33–52% of the fertility decline for women 15–44.
  • In counties with the highest iPhone usage, births to teens and women in their twenties fell, while births to thirties did not rise.
  • Surveys link iPhone use to reduced in-person interaction, higher pornography consumption, lower sexual frequency, and the U.S. total fertility rate dropping to 1.62 in 2023.