Why the Left Went Child-Free | Daniel Hess

Aaron Renn welcomes back Daniel Hess, one of the sharpest analysts of global fertility trends, for a deep dive into why birth rates are collapsing—and why the divide is increasingly political.They discuss:

- The growing fertility gap between red states (near replacement) and blue states (deeply sub-replacement)
- How marriage is becoming even more important for births in the era of perfect birth control
- The rise of a genuine pro-natal culture on the political right
- Why high-density YIMBY-style housing often hurts family formation
- The forgotten role of suburban sprawl in fueling the Baby Boom
- Rising material expectations and status competition squeezing young families
- Billionaire fertility extremes and the shifting debate around IVF/surrogacy

If we want a growing future, we need more births. This episode unpacks the cultural, economic, and policy roadblocks—and what might actually move the needle

Chapters:
(00:00 - Intro & Global Fertility Collapse)
(01:11 - The New Political Divide on Kids)
(05:30 - Marriage Matters More Than Ever)
(09:20 - Pronatal Culture Emerging on the Right)
(11:40 - Why Israel Is the Only High-Fertility Developed Nation)
(14:50 - Housing: The Real Barrier for Families)
(22:20 - YIMBY vs. Family-Friendly Building)
(28:50 - Suburbia & the Baby Boom Lesson)
(36:30 - Materialism and the Rising "Cost" of Kids)
(43:35 - Billionaires, IVF, and Fertility Tech Debates)

DANIEL HESS LINKS:
🐦 Twitter/X: https://x.com/morebirths
🌐 Dan Hess Substack: https://www.morebirths.com/

CONNECT & FOLLOW AARON RENN:
🐦 Twitter/X: https://x.com/aaron_renn
🌐 Newsletter - In-depth cultural analysis: https://www.aaronrenn.com/