Implementing a taxpayer-funded free birth policy in the U.S. would help solve the issue of the country’s decreasing population, a Catholic author recently argued.

“Women and young married couples cite a variety of reasons for having no or fewer children than past generations; the cost associated with pregnancy, delivery, and prenatal care is the rationale for a significant number,” author Kenneth Craycraft wrote for online publication “First Things.”

Citing data from the Center for Disease Control, Craycraft pointed out that the birth rate in the U.S. in 2023 was 1.6 children per woman, the lowest birth rate ever recorded.

“This is less than the 2.1 births per woman required merely to keep pace with deaths. According to the CDC, the rate has been generally below replacement since 1971, and consistently below since 2007,” Craycraft continued, adding that both “infant and maternal mortality rates in the U.S. are alarmingly high in comparison to peer countries.”

He additionally noted that to have a baby in the U.S. costs an average of $19,000, sometimes with families who have good health insurance paying over $5,000 out of pocket.

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According to Craycraft, future economic crises loom if the U.S. population does not grow soon. He argued that free birth is a “necessary element” of any economic or societal plan to address the population crisis.

Craycraft also acknowledged that the cost of implementing a free birth policy would be enormous, but argued that “the initial economic cost of such a program will be far outweighed by the long-term social and economic benefit of increasing live births and growing the U.S. population.”

“While the cost of free birth would not be unsubstantial, it would be a mere fraction of what the U.S. now pays for other programs and policies,” Craycraft wrote, adding:

For example … a national free birth policy would cost about $39.5 billion above what is already spent through Medicare and Medicaid. Adding $60 billion or so for perinatal care, the U.S. would spend approximately what it gave to Ukraine in 2022 to support its war with Russia. And it is about one-sixteenth of what the U.S. spends on healthcare overall.

Craycraft made other arguments for a free birth policy from a pro-life and social perspective, noting that a 2013 study found 40% of women seeking abortions were doing so due to financial concerns.

“A free birth program would contribute to a culture of welcoming life, preventing abortion, and caring for the well-being of mothers and children,” he wrote, adding that children have positive impacts on society.

Craycraft concluded that while a free birth policy would not, on its own, solve the U.S.’ population issue, “it would be a very significant step towards forestalling and reversing an imminent economic and social disaster…. More and healthier babies and mothers will make for a healthier and more prosperous society.”

LifeNews Note: Hannah Hiester writes for CatholicVote, where this column originally appeared.