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MEDIA MENTIONS
Birth Rates Are Declining. Should We Be Worried?
Front Burner (CBC) | Oct. 2024
“PRB President and CEO Jennifer Sciubba spoke about the myriad factors behind declining birth rates and the dangers of politicizing reproduction.”
As the U.S. Population Ages, These States Have The Most Older Residents
ABC-7 KVIA | Oct. 16, 2024
“Over the last century, the proportion of Americans aged 65 and older has increased dramatically, from 1 in 20 in 1920 to 1 in 6 in 2020. The Population Reference Bureau says this trend is likely to continue as Census projections suggest the number of Americans 65 and above will increase by 47% by 2050.”
Can You Define Baby Boomers? Look At Trump and Harris
Kiplinger | Oct. 14, 2024
“The relationship between employers and workers shifted as young Boomers came of age, says Diana Elliott, vice president, U.S. Programs at the Population Reference Bureau, a nonprofit research organization focused on improving health and well-being.”
How East Asia’s Population Crunch Could Lead to Crisis
Newsweek | Aug. 29, 2024
“Jennifer Sciubba, president and CEO of the nonprofit statistics firm Population Reference Bureau, stressed the decision to have a child can involve ‘a long, complicated list’ of pros and cons. She said cash bonuses and maternity leave are often insufficient in the region to make a difference.”
How One Provider’s Fight to Expand Explains the Struggle to Provide Adequate Child Care in the Bay Area
The Mercury News | Aug. 19, 2024
“This dispute is part of a larger issue in Contra Costa County, where demand for child care is outpacing supply. The combination of increasingly tight margins and the ripple effects of the pandemic continue to dramatically reduce available options — especially as median annual child care costs range between $14,000 and $20,000, according to Kidsdata.org.” [KidsData is a PRB program.]
Should We Be Worried About Declining Birth Rates?
The Week | Aug. 26, 2024
“‘What we are experiencing now, and have been experiencing for decades, is something that we have not seen before in human history, which is a large-scale, cross-national, cross-cultural shift towards preferring and having smaller families,’ Jennifer D. Sciubba, a demographer and the author of ‘8 Billion and Counting: How Sex, Death, and Migration Shape Our World,’ said to CNN.”
Égalité de genre : Des acteurs de la société civile plaident pour la valorisation du travail domestique non rémunéré
Dakaractu (Senegal) | Aug. 1, 2024
« Le Réseau National des femmes travailleuses du Sénégal(Rénafes), en partenariat avec PRB (Population Référence Bureau) et CREG(Consortium Régional Générationnel) a organisé un atelier, cejeudi 1er Août 2024 à la fondation Friedrich Ebert. »
Governments Struggle to Boost Declining Fertility Rates
Singapore Business Review | Aug. 2024
“‘Part of what is driving that is that people are getting married later, if at all, they’re having their first child later, if at all,’ Dr. Sciubba explained. ‘And overall, people just want to have fewer children.’ Economic factors and shifting societal values are among the key reasons behind this trend, contributing to the declining birth rates in Singapore and beyond.”
Why the U.S. Elects so Many Older Politicians
CNBC | July 30, 2024
“The median age of the U.S. population — 38.9 in 2022 — is older than it has ever been, according to the Population Reference Bureau.”
Demographer Jennifer D. Sciubba Debunks 3 Myths on Global Population, Growth, Decline
The Chautauquan Daily | July 16, 2024
“Understanding demography is the key to reading the world, Jennifer D. Sciubba said Monday morning in the Amphitheater.”
Single and Buying: Women Take the Lead in Purchasing Real Estate
Desert News | June 26, 2024
“In more developed countries, women have an average life expectancy of 79 years, while men have an average of 72 years, according to the Population Reference Bureau. In less developed countries, women can expect to live an average of 66 years compared to 63 years for men.”
Let’s Make Babies: The Coming Population Crisis
Global Roaming (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) | June 2024
What do we know—and not know—about why fertility rates are low in much of the world? And how can we adjust our systems to adapt to this new reality? PRB President and CEO Jennifer Sciubba spoke with hosts Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald.
Meet the Last 20-Something Millennials
Business Insider | June 22, 2024
“Diana Elliott, vice president of programs at Population Reference Bureau (PRB), told Business Insider that one’s late 20s have always been peak years to establish careers. However, these particular late 20-somethings saw the pandemic shorten their typical in-office experience more than the rest of their generation.”
Population Decline: Crisis or Opportunity?
The Agenda (CGTN Europe) | June 22, 2024
Host Juliet Mann spoke with PRB President and CEO Jennifer Sciubba about the challenges and possibilities for countries facing falling birthrates and population aging. Other guests included data scientist Stephen J. Shaw, Peter Elwin (Planet Tracker), and Haleh Nazeri (World Economic Forum).
America’s Poverty Line Is Letting Millions Slip Through the Cracks — Here’s How We Could Fix It
Business Insider | June 17, 2024
“‘The way we measure poverty is incredibly outdated,’” said Beth Jarosz, senior program director at the Population Reference Bureau, a nonprofit organization that conducts demographic analyses.
Is Exploding Cost of Raising Kids Going to Shrink Southern California?
The Orange County Register | June 5, 2024
“‘Our research has found that there are a lot of barriers to having children for young adults today,’ said Sara Srygley, a sociologist and demographer with the Population Reference Bureau who recently has tracked the living arrangements of young adults.”
Counties Improve Budget Openness, but Reports Wanting – Survey
The Star (Kenya) | May 25, 2024
“Population Reference Bureau budget facilitator from the coast regional hub, Reena Atuma, said that in the report 38 counties provided more budget information, registering an increase in their overall transparency index.”
America’s Population Time Bomb
Newsweek | May 11, 2024
“The U.S. population is already older than it’s ever been, according to the Population Reference Bureau (PRB). What’s more, the number of Americans aged 65 and older is projected to increase from 58 million in 2022 to 82 million by 2050—an increase of 47 percent—and the 65-and-older age group’s share of the total population is projected to rise from 17 percent to 23 percent, according to the PRB.”
The Longevity Revolution: Foreign Policy Challenges Dealing With an Aging Society
Council on Foreign Relations | May 1, 2024
PRB President and CEO Jennifer D. Sciubba spoke on a Council on Foreign Relations panel about adjusting to even longer lives in already aging societies, alongside MSNBC’s Ali Velshi, author Andrew J. Scott, and Jane Buchanan of HelpAge USA.
America Is Uniquely Ill-Suited to Handle a Falling Population
The Economist | April 18, 2024
“If the population as a whole is barely increasing, for one region to grow fast, another must contract, notes Beth Jarosz of the Population Reference Bureau, a non-profit research organisation that works with the Census Bureau. Growing becomes a zero-sum game.”
How Many People Have Ever Existed?
BBC Crowdscience | April 5, 2024
Toshiko Kaneda, PRB’s technical director for demographic research, explains how PRB developed its estimation of the number of humans who’ve ever lived on Earth.
What’s Behind Falling Birthrates and Why It Matters
Texas Monthly | March 29, 2024
Diana Elliott, Vice President of U.S. Programs at PRB, talks about population aging and falling birthrates and answers questions from callers.
Is Medicare Keeping Pace With Our Aging Population? Experts Say ‘We Need to Double Down and Go Faster’
Fortune | March 26, 2024
“Social Security and Medicare expenditures will increase from a combined 9.1% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023 to 11.5% by 2035 because of the large share of older adults needing care, according to the Population Reference Bureau. That could lead to higher taxes and service cuts, they predicted.”
Birthrates Are Plummeting Worldwide. Why?
The Ezra Klein Show (The New York Times) | March 19, 2024
On the podcast, demographer Jennifer D. Sciubba, Vice Chair of PRB’s Board of Trustees, speaks about declining birth rates in wealthy countries.
Climate Vulnerability and Resilience
The News on Sunday (Pakistan) | March 17, 2024
“The 2023 World Population Data Sheet (a ready reference of demographic and health indicators by country and region) published annually by the Population Research [sic] Bureau, provides the latest data on key population, health and environment indicators for major world regions and over 200 countries and territories.”
Health Systems Adjust Care as More People Reach Older Ages
The Daily Item | March 5, 2024
“‘The current growth of the population ages 65 and older, driven by the large baby boom generation — those born between 1946 and 1964 — is unprecedented in U.S. history,’ according to the Population Reference Bureau.”
REFAMP- Togo : Comprendre le dividende et la transition démographiques en cours pour mieux agir
AfrikImpact TV | March 1, 2024
« Les membres du Réseau des femmes africaines ministres et parlementaires, avec le soutien de PRB et CREG, ont été outillées jeudi 29 février 2024 à Lomé sur le dividende démographique et la transition démographique afin de mieux lutter en faveur de l’autonomisation des femmes et des jeunes filles. »
The False Escapism of Soft Girls and Tradwives
TIME | Feb. 28, 2024
“According to a December 2023 report by the Population Reference Bureau, a nonprofit research organization, Gen-Z female teens have higher rates of suicide than previous generations, specifically rates have increased to .005% whereas suicide rates for teen girls had remained steadily around .003% for the three generations prior.”
Retirements Spike Again as Stock Market Booms
Axios | Feb. 19, 2024
“The 65-and-older cohort is set to soar by nearly 50% by 2050, with its share of the population rising from 17% to 23%, according to the Population Reference Bureau.”
The Friends Who Are Caring for Each Other in Older Age
The Atlantic | Feb. 12, 2024
“The Population Reference Bureau projects that the number of 75-year-olds without a living spouse could more than double, from about 875,000 in 2010 to 1.8 million in 2030.”
Togo : Le travaildomestique non rémunéré expliqué aux journalistes
AfrikElles | Feb. 10, 2024
« Le concept de travail domestique non rémunéré est peu compris au sein de la population. De ce constat, Le Consortium pour la recherche en économie générationnelle et la Population Référence Bureau (PRB), en collaboration avec le ministère de l’Action sociale, de la promotion de la femme et de l’alphabétisation, a organisé une formation le jeudi 08 février 2024 à l’endroit des journalistes au Togo. »
Lomé : rencontre de concertation de haut niveau sur le travail domestique non rémunéré
L’Emissaire | Feb. 8, 2024
« Aissata FALL, Directrice Afrique de PRB, a souligné l’engagement des pays de l’Afrique de l’Ouest, dont le Togo, envers l’agenda 2063 et la feuille de route de l’Union Africaine sur la capture du dividende démographique. »
The Youth Factor
The News International (Pakistan) | Jan. 24, 2024
“PRB estimates show that 38 per cent of the population in Pakistan falls in the younger than 15 category while 4.0 percent falls in the 65 plus age group.”
The Long Decline: How Depopulation Hurts Alabama’s Rural Communities
Alabama Reflector | Jan. 16, 2024
“‘When we look at Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and most of the other Appalachian states, rural counties have been having population loss in general,’” said Beth Jarosz, program director in the U.S. Programs for the Population Reference Bureau.”
Millennial Women Are Making More Money. They’re Also Facing Bigger Health Threats.
The 19th News | Dec. 14, 2023
“Sara Srygley, a research analyst with PRB, stressed that the data in the PRB report highlights the importance of intersectionality in both research and decision-making — as soberly underscored by the racial differences that exist among the change in the suicide rate among young women.”
Millennial Women in US Are Facing the First ‘Active Decline’ in Well-Being Since WWII – With Suicides, Debt and Cost of Living All Skyrocketing
Daily Mail | Dec. 13, 2023
“Researchers at the Population Reference Bureau found the well-being index for millennial women declined to 94 out of 100 for Millennials – a six percent drop from the previous group and the first since the Silent Generation reported a score of 45.”
Millennial Women Are Facing the First Decline in Well-Being Since the Silent Generation, Report Says
CNN | Dec. 11, 2023
“The Population Reference Bureau created an index of women’s well-being, identifying the factors that best indicated the general status of poverty, education, incarceration, political representation, physical and mental health, and participation in the labor force.”
Millennial, Gen Z Women Face More Health and Safety Threats Than Prior Generations: Study
New York Post | Dec. 1, 2023
“A report released Thursday by the Population Reference Bureau found that women born after 1981 had heightened risks to their physical well-being and safety compared to their mothers and grandmothers.”
Gen Z, Millennial Women Face Historic Headwinds When It Comes to Their Health: Report
ABC News | Nov. 30, 2023
“‘Young women today are obtaining college degrees and entering the workforce in record numbers to achieve their generation’s version of the American Dream. But structural barriers to health and safety are preventing many of them from reaching their full potential,’” said Diana Elliott, vice president for U.S. programs at the Population Reference Bureau.
Millennial and Gen Z Women Face Greater Health Risks Than Prior Generations, Report Finds
Forbes | Nov. 30, 2023
“Though their physical well-being and safety are at an increased risk, millennial women have made farther economic strides and are more educated than previous generations, according to PRB.”
U.S. Women Now Live 6 Years Longer Than Men—and a Lack of Male-Targeted Mental Health Care Might Be to Blame
Forbes | Nov. 16, 2023
“Women outlive men in almost every country in the world, according to the Population Reference Bureau.”
Vermont May Be the Face of a Long-Term U.S. Labor Shortage
The New York Times | Nov. 12, 2023
“‘It seems to be happening slowly enough that we’re not seeing it as a crisis,’” said Diana Elliott, vice president for U.S. programs at the Population Reference Bureau, a nonprofit research organization. “‘It’s happening in slow motion.’”
Remove Levies on Reproductive Health Services, Lobby Tells Governor Sakaja
Nation (Kenya) | Nov. 8, 2023
“According to the World Population Data Sheet by Population Reference Bureau, poor women report the highest unmet need for family planning programs.”
One in Four People in Asia, Pacific Will Be Above 60 by 2050, Over Half Will Be Women: UNFPA
The New Indian Express | Oct. 31, 2023
“Toshiko Kaneda, Technical Director of Demographic Research, Population [Reference] Bureau, said by mid-2040, the size of the population aged above 65 will surpass the size of the population of children and youth under the age of 15.”
Boys Graduate High School at Lower Rates Than Girls, With Lifelong Consequences
The Associated Press | Oct. 29, 2023
“In some cases, boys like West aren’t in as much of a hurry to graduate as girls because they haven’t needed a high school degree to cover rent and groceries, said Beth Jarosz, a program director at research organization PRB.”
Most Boomers Missed This Retirement Strategy But Millennials Still Have Time
Forbes | Oct. 17, 2023
“The Population Reference Bureau cites several studies indicating that older Boomers may be less healthy than previous generations at the same age decades earlier.”
Gay Community Faces Increased Risk of Dementia
The Provincetown Independent | Oct. 11, 2023
“There are more than seven million people in the U.S. with dementia, according to the Population Reference Bureau (PRB), and 6.5 million of these cases are caused by Alzheimer’s disease. As the U.S. population ages, this number is likely to increase — if current trends persist, 9 million people will have dementia by 2030, according to the PRB.”
PRB and Dr. Shalon’s Maternal Action Project win a Clio Health award
Clio Health | Oct. 2023
PRB and Dr. Shalon’s Maternal Action Project won a Clio Health award for our national campaign to raise awareness of the Black maternal health crisis in the United States.
Combien d’humains sur la planète à ce jour ?
La Presse | Oct. 8, 2023
« Un autre groupe qui publie des estimations de « démographie historique », le Bureau de recherche sur la population (PRB) de Washington, mise plutôt sur les taux de fécondité pour estimer la taille des populations. « Ça nous permet de combler les trous entre les recensements », explique Toshiko Kaneda, une démographe du PRB. »
Worried About Living in a Flood Zone? Try a House That Floats.
The New York Times | Sept. 29, 2023
“About 3 billion people, roughly half of the world’s population, lives within 125 miles of a coastline, according to the Population Reference Bureau.”
Where Child Well-Being Stands in California
Axios | Aug. 1, 2023
“2021 state data compiled by Kidsdata.org shows that 36.2% of students in San Francisco County did not complete high school, compared to 9.4% in California overall.” KidsData is a PRB program.
Florida Faces Social Security Crisis as Soaring Inflation Hits Benefits
Newsweek | July 24, 2023
“According to the Population Reference Bureau (PRB)… states like Florida—including Arizona, New Mexico, and South Carolina—have attracted a large share of older retirees in recent decades, thanks to the warm weather and tax benefits for seniors.”
How India’s Population Exploded to Overtake China’s and What’s Next
CNN | July 9, 2023
“‘What really surprised us is that the highest fertility rate in India — 3.0 in Bihar — is not even that high,’ said Barbara Seligman, chief strategy and growth officer and senior vice president at PRB, a nonprofit group that focuses on demographic data and population research.”
Under Strict Abortion Law, Texas Had Nearly 10,000 More Births Than Expected in Last Nine Months of 2022, Research Suggests
CNN Health | July 6, 2023
“Poor policies around paid family leave and options for child care create challenges for many in the United States, and that hasn’t changed post-Dobbs, said Beth Jarosz, a demographer and program director with the nonprofit Population Reference Bureau who focuses on child well-being.”
The Number of Utahns Over 65 Is Up While the Count of Kids Under 5 Is Falling
KUER 90.1 | June 27, 2023
“‘It’s really challenging to find affordable housing,’ Population Reference Bureau Program Director Beth Jarosz told attendees at a Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute Newsmaker Breakfast on June 27. ‘We know based on survey data that families are taking that into consideration when they’re figuring out how many kids to have.’”
California Is Getting Older, Except in This County
The San Francisco Standard | June 23, 2023
“That’s largely because California’s population of children has been shrinking, said Population Reference Bureau Demographer Beth Jarosz. Researchers say a society is at a ‘replacement rate’ when families have two kids, thus replacing the parents.”
‘DINK’—Double Income, No Kids—Couples Say Being Child-Free Makes Them Richer and More Successful, Even If It Means Putting Up With Judgement
Fortune | June 22, 2023
“Yet couples choosing not to have offspring are a growing minority. The proportion of married couples in the U.S. deciding to have children has more than halved since the 1960s, according to the most recent data from the Population Reference Bureau.”
How the Labor Shortage Is Impacting Ohio and the Nation
WOSU All Sides | June 13, 2023
Diana Elliott, PRB’s Vice President for U.S. Programs, spoke with Mike Thompson for the June 13 podcast. “The employers who think more creatively about policies are the ones who are going to come out ahead in the next couple of decades,” she said.
‘I Feel Like I’ve Really Made Friends’: Intergenerational Living Benefits Graduate Students and Older Residents
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette| June 12, 2023
“Data from the Population Reference Bureau predicts that the American population age 65 and older will nearly double from 52 million in 2018 to 95 million by 2060, causing increased strain on elderly health care services.”
How a Declining Birth Rate Could Impact Every American
Deseret News | June 1, 2023
“The first place you see the impact (of falling fertility) is changing demand for schools,” said Beth Jarosz, program director in U.S. programs and director for KidsData at the Population Reference Bureau.
Where Living With Friends Is Still Technically Illegal
The Atlantic | May 22, 2023
“Although 44 percent of households in the U.S. were composed of married parents and their children in 1965, just 19 percent were in 2020, according to the Population Reference Bureau.”
India’s Population Will Pass China’s Soon, But When Exactly?
The Associated Press| April 19, 2023
“Once a country hits a low fertility level, it’s often hard to recover population growth, even with changes in government policy to encourage more births, said Toshiko Kaneda, technical director of demographic research at the Population Reference Bureau in Washington.”
What Holds Women Back From Saving—and What They Can Do About It
CNBC.com | April 3, 2023
“Data from the Population Reference Bureau found that women outlive men in both developed and under-developed countries. In developed societies like the United States, women are expected to live for 79 years while men are expected to live around 72 years.”
New Campaign Highlights Black Maternal Health
NPR, Here & Now | March 29, 2023
This installment of NPR’s Here & Now examines the crisis in Black maternal mortality in the United States, speaking with Wanda Irving of Dr. Shalon’s Maternal Action Project and referencing data from PRB.
Is the Poverty Line, Created Five Decades Ago, an Effective Measure of Need? Experts Say No.
USA Today | Dec. 9, 2022
Beth Jarosz discusses the history and limitations of the current federal poverty line and offers recommendations.
As Biden Turns 80, Americans Ask ‘What’s Too Old?’
Reuters | Nov. 11, 2022
The article cites PRB data on aging trends in the United States.
Russia’s ‘Catastrophic’ Missing Men Problem
The Week | Nov. 5, 2022
The article highlights a blog by PRB board member Jennifer D. Sciubba about the link between demographic changes in a country and its approach to foreign policy.
Lawmakers Push to End Maternal Health Crisis
The Hill | Nov. 4, 2022
The article cites PRB reporting on the disparity in mortality rates between Black women and white women.
The Math Behind the Poverty Line: Researcher Says Calculations Don’t Account for High Housing Costs
Here & Now, WBUR | Nov. 1, 2022
Beth Jarosz discusses how the federal poverty line was set, why it’s outdated, and what changes might help.
Delaware (barely) surpasses 1 million residents − and many of them are older adults
Delaware Online | Nov. 1, 2022
The article cites a 2020 PRB article on the changes in the size of families in the United States.
‘Full-Time Work Doesn’t Pay’: Why Are So Many Working American Families Living Day to Day?
USA Today | Sept. 6, 2022
The article cites a PRB explainer on how poverty is measured in the United States.
I Work An Extra Job Because Childcare Costs More than My Salary. It’s Either That or Give Up My Career.
Market Insider | Aug. 29, 2022
The article cites KidsData’s findings on the cost of childcare in San Francisco.
Involve Stakeholders in Implementing Reproductive Health Policy
The Standard | Aug. 8, 2022
The article cites data on contraceptive use among adolescent girl from PRB’s 2021 World Population Data Sheet.
A 50 year shift to Virginia’s suburbs likely to move to the exurbs next
Virginia Public Media | July 12, 2022
Mark Mather discussed population changes in Virginia over the coming 50 years.
US Birth Rates Rose Slightly in 2021 After a Steep Drop in the First Year of the Pandemic, CDC Data Shows
CNN | May 24, 2022
Beth Jarosz discussed new data showing a slight increase in U.S. birth rates in 2021.
A Call To Action: Responding To The Crisis of Maternal Mortality
Ms. Magazine | Feb. 7, 2022
PRB’s report on the crisis in Black maternal mortality in the United States is cited.
Featured Experts
Jennifer D. Sciubba
President and CEO
Diana Elliott
Senior Vice President, Programs
Linda A. Jacobsen
Senior Fellow
Beth Jarosz
Senior Program Director
Toshiko Kaneda
Technical Director, Demographic Research
Mark Mather
Associate Vice President, U.S. Programs
Aïssata Fall
Africa Director, Regional Representative for West and Central Africa
