Housing affordability is becoming one of the biggest economic issues of our time. And now, some

economists are warning that it could impact something much bigger than home prices. It could impact

population growth itself. I'm Kathy Fedke, and this is real estate news for investors.

This is Real Estate News with Kathy Fedke.

A new report highlighted by Realtor.com looked at global population trends and how affordability

pressures may be changing the future.

The study was published in the journal Chaos, Solitons, and Fractals.

Researchers modeled what could happen under

extreme global crisis scenarios, including war, climate collapse, or pandemics. In the worst-case

scenario, the global population could eventually be cut in half over the next several decades.

Researchers were very clear. They said current trends are stable and there's

no immediate collapse happening, but the report does highlight how sensitive population growth can

become when people are financially strained. And that's where housing comes into the story.

The article points out that U.S. fertility rates hit a record low in 2025 at just 1.57 births per woman.

That's well below the replacement rate of 2.1.

Economists say affordability may be playing a major role.

According to research cited in the article, rising housing costs accounted for more than half of the decline in U.S. fertility rates between the 2000s and the 2010s.

Another study found that for non-home owners, every 10% increase in home prices, led to a 1% drop in births in the average metro area.

And when you look at recent inflation numbers,

it's easy to understand why younger families feel pressure. Between 2019 and 2025, shelter costs

jumped 34%. Child care costs rose 39%. And that combination has made it harder for many people

to buy homes, start families, or feel financially secure enough to have children.

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