Childcare Regulations and Fertility Trends in the U.S.

States with fewer childcare regulations tend to show a smaller difference between the number of children families desire and the number they actually have.

American women often have fewer children than they would prefer. Research estimates that the average fertility gap in the U.S.—the gap between desired and actual number of children—is around 0.76. This is nearly equivalent to one child. However, this average varies widely across different states.

In North Dakota, the fertility gap is significantly smaller, amounting to about one-third of a child. Conversely, in states like New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Alaska, the gap exceeds one child. These variations suggest a correlation between childcare policies and fertility outcomes.