A new United States study has linked smartphone adoption directly to a 22 percent decline in birth rates recorded across America since 2007, when the first iPhone was introduced.
The research, conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research, examined how smartphone availability affected birth rates following the launch of iPhone in 2007.
Until 2011, iPhones were available on only one American mobile network, meaning large parts of the country had no access to the devices during that early period.
In areas where iPhones were available before 2011, birth rates among women aged 15 to 24 fell by four to eight percent, while older women saw comparatively smaller declines in births.
Researchers cautioned that smartphones alone cannot be identified as the sole cause, but their findings clearly show birth rates began falling after 2007, as smartphones reduced in-person social interaction.
A separate study by the University of Cincinnati analysed smartphone usage and birth rate data across 128 countries, producing findings broadly consistent with the American research results.
That global study found that widespread smartphone availability was followed by notable birth rate declines, with researchers describing the phenomenon as a shared global technology shock affecting nations.
The impact was observed across both wealthy and developing nations, contributing to ageing populations, shrinking workforces, and growing pressure on social security systems in countries around the world.
Experts had previously attributed the falling birth rates in America to the 2008 global financial crisis, but rates never recovered even after the economy returned to stable conditions following that downturn.
Other contributing factors cited for declining US birth rates include increased contraceptive use, rising female literacy rates, and growing financial pressures associated with housing costs and childcare expenses.
