meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
The Gray Area with Sean Illing

The global baby bust

The Gray Area with Sean Illing

Vox Media Podcast Network

News Commentary, Philosophy, Politics, Society & Culture, News

4.511.1K Ratings

🗓️ 20 July 2026

⏱️ 54 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Birth rates are dropping and global population growth is slowing. Why? We’re heard all the different speculation: It’s the economy. It’s housing costs. It’s the feminists. But what if the biggest driver is that thing we all carry in our pockets? In today’s episode, guest host Christine Emba speaks with data journalist John Burn-Murdoch about declining fertility rates across vastly different cultures and economies. They discuss the role smartphones might play in this phenomenon, why governments have struggled to reverse the trend, and how dropping birthrates could change our economy and culture. Guest Host Christine Emba, columnist and author Guest: John Burn-Murdoch, Chief Data Reporter for The Financial Times We would love to hear from you. To tell us what you thought of this episode, email us at thegrayarea@vox.com or leave us a voicemail at 1-800-214-5749. Your comments and questions help us make a better show. And you can watch new episodes of The Gray Area on YouTube.Listen to The Gray Area ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Are you a pet owner?

0:02.5

Every six seconds, a pet owner in the U.S. gets hit with a vet bill over $1,000.

0:08.8

Always an unwelcome surprise.

0:11.1

That's where Fetch comes in.

0:13.0

Fetch is the most complete pet insurance for dogs and cats, according to consumer advocate.org.

0:18.7

You get paid back up to 90% of vet bills at any vet in the U.S.

0:23.4

in Canada, with claims paid back in as little as two days.

0:27.8

Go to fetchpet.com slash save right now for your free quote.

0:31.7

That's fetchpet.com slash save.

0:39.6

Avoiding your unfinished home projects because you're not sure where to start,

0:43.7

Thumbtack knows homes, so you don't have to.

0:46.7

Don't know the difference between matte paint finish and satin,

0:50.1

or what that clunking sound from your dryer is.

0:53.0

With Thumbtack, you don't have to be a home pro.

0:55.7

You just have to hire one.

0:57.3

You can hire top-rated pros, see price estimates, and read reviews all on the app.

1:02.9

Download today.

1:05.1

You may have heard that America is in the midst of a fertility crisis.

1:13.8

There's a lot of talk about it and a lot of political input,

1:16.7

but there's real data behind all the dramatics.

1:20.7

The age at which Americans have their first child has risen,

1:23.4

and people are having fewer children overall.

...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 22 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Vox Media Podcast Network, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Vox Media Podcast Network and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.