A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research has found that the introduction of the iPhone in 2007 may account for 33% to 52% of the decline in U.S. fertility rates from 2007 to 2011, especially among women aged 15 to 44. Birth rates dropped by approximately 4.5% to 8% in teens (15-19) and 3.2% to 6.6% in young adults (20-24). Researchers attribute this decline to smartphones changing social behaviors, including reduced face-to-face interactions and increased access to information about contraception. However, they caution that financial pressures, rising childcare costs, delayed marriage, and changing attitudes are also contributing factors to fertility declines, which have continued beyond the iPhone's introduction.

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Study finds iPhone may explain up to half of U.S. fertility decline

The study found access to the iPhone reduced births by an estimated 4.5% to 8% among teens ages 15 to 19

Ninfa Saavedra, Digital Content Specialist

Published: June 12, 2026 at 5:41 AM

FILE - The new iPhone 16 is displayed during an announcement of new products at Apple headquarters Sept. 9, 2024, in Cupertino, Calif. (AP Photo/Juliana Yamada, File) (Juliana Yamada, Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

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The launch of Apple’s iPhone in 2007 may have played a larger role in declining U.S. birth rates than previously thought, according to new research.

A study published this month by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) found the spread of the iPhone could explain between 33% and 52% of the decline in fertility rates among women ages 15 to 44 between 2007 and 2011. Researchers said the strongest effects were seen among people under 24.