In This Issue:
- PRI in the Media
- America Needs More People
- Deepening Depopulation
- Ireland’s Birth Rate Falls
- Russia Battles Demographic Winter
- Why Birthrates Keep Falling
- Migration Drives Population Growth
- Communist China
- China’s Family Crisis
- Birthrate Dropping to WWII Levels
- UN Misdeeds
- UN Pushes Abortion for Minors
- Science Gone Mad
- Trump Reconsiders IVF Funding
- Pro-Life Around the World
- New Zealand Deaths Surge
- Abortion Survivor Denied Care
- Pro-Life on the Home Front
- Colorado Law Struck Down
- States Shield Abortionists Illegally
- Trump Sued Over Abortion Cuts
- Planned Parenthood Poisons Patient
- Good News
- Baby Saved Before Birth
PRI in the Media
America Needs More People: This week, PRI President Steven Mosher appeared on Ave Maria Radio, where he warned that the myth of overpopulation, abortion on demand, and economic hardship are fueling America’s birthrate crisis. He noted that 40% of young people aged 16–25 cite “overpopulation” and “climate change” as reasons not to have children, which is propaganda often pushed in public schools. The U.S. fertility rate has dropped to a record low of 1.6, and Mosher argues the nation must do more to support family formation. One key step is making childbirth free. While efforts to defund Planned Parenthood are succeeding, with abortion centers closing in both red and blue states, abortions remain high. These factors have caused a deepening population crisis to unfold. People are the one resource we can’t live without—and America needs more of them.
Deepening Depopulation
Ireland’s Birth Rate Falls: New figures from Ireland’s Central Statistics Office show a deepening demographic divide as birth rates continue to fall in many areas. In 2022, Glenties, a in County Donegal, had the lowest birth rate at just 7.4 per 1,000 people, while Tallaght South in Dublin had the highest at 13.7. Although over 54,000 babies were born nationwide, 15 local electoral areas saw more deaths than births—a sharp rise from previous years. The town of Belmullet in County Mayo had one of the lowest birth rates and the highest death rate, resulting in the most severe population decline. Fertility rates were also lowest in urban centers like Galway and inner-city Dublin. Nationally, the fertility rate was just 42.3 births per 1,000 women aged 15–49—raising serious concerns about Ireland’s future.
“In order to keep Ireland Irish, the Irish must have children,” says Mr. Mosher. “The total fertility rate (TFR) in Ireland for 2023 was 1.5 births per woman, well below the replacement level of 2.1. Be Fruitful or Be Replaced.”
Russia Battles Demographic Winter: Facing a dangerously low fertility rate of just 1.4, Russia is scrambling to reverse decades of population decline. In response, officials have created a “demographic special forces unit,” embedding pro-family liaisons in every government department. Leaders like Federation Council Chairman, Valentina Matvienko, hope this push for “family-centricity” will encourage family growth. Yet despite years of policy efforts, including the 2018 National Demography Project, fertility rates remain stagnant. Abortion remains a major obstacle; though reduced from historic highs, 27% of Russian babies are still aborted. For fifty years abortion outpaced birth in Russia. In the 1960s alone there were over five million abortions annually, while births were around two million. Russia’s crisis mirrors a global trend—modern nations facing collapse not from war, but from empty cradles.
Why Birthrates Keep Falling: A new Newsweek report explores the global collapse in fertility, noting that U.S. births are projected to average just 1.6 children per woman over the next three decades. While economic concerns are frequently blamed, there are other cultural shifts also at play. Studies show young adults increasingly prioritize careers and individual goals over marriage and parenthood. Even in countries with generous family policies like Norway, the fertility rate dropped from 1.98 in 2009 to just 1.4 last year. Though policies like paid leave and childcare help, they fail to address the root problem: a widespread reordering of values where children are no longer seen as central to a meaningful life. Researchers warn that reversing this trend will require not just childcare subsidies or baby bonuses—but a cultural renewal.
Migration Drives Population Growth: The population of England and Wales rose by over 700,000 in 2024—marking the second-largest increase in more than 75 years. But nearly all of that growth came from immigration, not births. The Office for National Statistics reported that net migration accounted for over 690,000 of the population rise, while natural increase—births minus deaths—accounted for only a small portion. In many regions, deaths now outnumber births due to declining fertility and an aging population. The average number of children per woman in England and Wales has dropped to just 1.44—the lowest on record. Population growth continues to depend heavily on international migration, not family formation.
“What the BBC fails to mention is that, as in the U.S., much of the increase in population numbers is due to illegal immigration to the U.K.,” says Mr. Mosher. “These illegal aliens, most of whom are military-age males, are a net drain on the economy, and are the chief cause of rising crime rates. The U.K’s birthrate continues to trend downwards, with the average woman in England and Wales having only 1.44 children, well below the 2.1 needed for a stable population.”
Communist China
China’s Family Crisis: China’s fertility rate has plunged to just 1.0 children per woman in 2023—down from 7.51 in 1963—triggering fears of deep social and economic collapse. In the 1970s, China introduced its one-child policy. Although the government has since ended this brutal era of forced abortions and sterilizations, the birth rate remains stubbornly low, driven by poverty, poor job prospects, and a generation unfamiliar with large families. With $6,224 in annual income for urban residents and just $2,777 for rural areas, many couples simply can’t afford more children. Young adults, often only children themselves, now shoulder the emotional and financial burden of supporting parents and grandparents; these pressures may be contributing factors to rising youth depression and suicide. As family-centered Confucian traditions fade, China may face a future without families.
Birthrate Dropping to WWII Levels: Beijing has introduced the country’s first nationwide childcare subsidy that also covers firstborns: families will receive 3,600 yuan (≈US $500) a year for each child until age three—about ¥10,800 ($1,500) in total. The fertility rate also slightly rose to 1.2 births per woman in 2024. Yet, analysts remain unconvinced that either of these developments will meaningfully change China’s demographic trajectory, warning China could see its population fall from 1.41 billion to just 320 million by 2100—a 77% drop, reaching levels last seen during World War II. With births half of what they were in 2016, China faces a looming demographic collapse.
UN Misdeeds
UN Pushes Abortion for Minors: The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, which monitors compliance with a treaty ratified by nearly every nation except the U.S., now claims that lack of abortion access for adolescent girls is a child rights violation requiring urgent intervention—an alarming reinterpretation far beyond the treaty’s original scope. Argentina condemned the move, calling it a violation of national sovereignty and parental rights. The committee has repeatedly pressured nations to liberalize abortion laws since the late 1990s, even urging the Holy See to change its teachings. Some civil society organizations warn that the committee’s gender ideology risks irreparably harming children, citing cases where parents lost rights for opposing medicalized gender transitions.
Science Gone Mad
Trump Reconsiders IVF Funding: President Trump is reportedly backing away from a proposal to mandate taxpayer-funded in vitro fertilization (IVF) coverage under Obamacare. IVF, a profit-driven industry that commodifies children, leads to the mass destruction of embryos—far more than abortion each year—as an estimated 93% to 97% of lab-created embryos never make it to the womb, let alone birth. This profit-driven industry commits serious human rights violations through practices like eugenics, embryo freezing and disposal. Abandoning public funding for IVF opens the door to ethical alternatives like restorative reproductive medicine. If President Trump truly ditches IVF subsidies, it marks a win for unborn children.
Pro-Life Around the World
New Zealand Deaths Surge: In New Zealand, Euthanasia and assisted suicide deaths surged by over 37% in the past year, with 472 lives ended between April 2024 and March 2025. This marks a 43.9% increase since 2022–2023, the first full year after the law came into effect. The latest figures show that euthanasia now accounts for 1.25% of all deaths in the country; among these cases, over 95% died by lethal injection, not self-administered suicide. Disturbingly, only 19 applicants received a psychiatric evaluation, and over one in five were not receiving palliative care. Meanwhile, the number of doctors willing to participate is shrinking. Attempts to expand the law beyond a six-month prognosis are already underway, despite earlier assurances that this wouldn’t happen.
Abortion Survivor Denied Care: Polish pro-life legal think tank Ordo Iuris has filed a criminal report against abortionist Dr. Gizela Jagielska, accusing her and her team of conducting a late-term abortion at 26 weeks, during which the baby was born alive but left without medical assistance and later died. The group cites violations of the Polish Penal Code, which requires aid for individuals in immediate danger, and is calling for the immediate suspension of Jagielska’s medical license. In a media interview, Jagielska admitted that the child was born alive and was given only palliative care as staff waited for the baby to die. She has also been implicated in a previous case involving a 37-week abortion of a baby diagnosed with brittle bone disease. Ordo Iuris argues that failing to provide life-saving intervention amounted to a deliberate and unlawful denial of care.
Pro-Life on the Home Front
Colorado Law Struck Down: A Colorado district court has permanently struck down a state law that banned pro-life medical professionals from providing abortion pill reversal (APR)—a treatment that can save unborn children by counteracting the effects of the first abortion drug. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by the Becket Fund and Alliance Defending Freedom on behalf of Bella Health and Wellness and nurse practitioner Chelsea Mynyk, both of whom offer APR as part of their faith-based commitment to life. Colorado’s 2023 law forced women to complete abortions they no longer wanted and threatened providers with investigations and penalties. This ruling upholds religious freedom and a woman’s right to choose life—even after beginning a chemical abortion.
“Abortion pill reversal has been proven to be safe and effective,” says Mr. Mosher. “It beggars belief that the peddlers of the abortion pill are so committed to killing unborn children that they want to deny women the right to change their mind, and that they would make it a crime—a crime!—to try and help these wounded women.”
States Shield Abortionists Illegally: Sixteen Republican attorneys general, led by Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, are calling on Congress to act against state “shield laws” that protect abortionists who facilitate illegal abortions across state lines, particularly through mail-order abortion pills. These laws, now present in 22 states, prevent cooperation with investigations from other states and allow abortion pills to be prescribed through telehealth—even in places where abortion is banned. In a joint letter, the attorneys general argue that such laws violate the Constitution’s Full Faith and Credit Clause and disrupt the federalist balance affirmed in the Dobbs ruling. They urge Congress to assess its power to preempt these laws, warning that allowing rogue states to defy pro-life protections threatens national legal coherence.
Trump Sued Over Abortion Cuts: Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration in an effort to block the defunding of Planned Parenthood. The suit claims this move would devastate state healthcare systems, even though Planned Parenthood has been closing centers and shifting to telehealth for years. At the same time, abortions have reached a record high of over 402,000—up 2.5% from the previous year—while taxpayer funding has soared to $792.2 million, a 13% increase. Focused solely on restoring federal funds to Planned Parenthood, the lawsuit refers to other abortion providers as “collateral damage.” Most Americans oppose taxpayer-funded abortion, and this lawsuit is a desperate attempt to keep public dollars flowing to the abortion industry.
Planned Parenthood Poisons Patient: On June 14, a woman at Planned Parenthood’s East Orlando Health Center was rushed to the hospital after experiencing suspected lidocaine toxicity—likely during an early abortion procedure. A 911 call from a staff member, believed to be the abortionist, reported symptoms consistent with toxic overdose of lidocaine, a numbing agent used in aspiration abortions. Lidocaine toxicity can cause seizures, respiratory failure, or cardiac arrest, especially in vulnerable groups like pregnant women. A recent study found lidocaine-related deaths have nearly tripled in the past decade, citing untrained staff in outpatient clinics—like Planned Parenthood—as a key cause.
Good News
Baby Saved Before Birth: At just 20 weeks of gestation, doctors discovered that baby Charlotte had a dangerous growth under her tongue, blocking her airway at birth. Her parents, Raegan and Josh Barnard, were offered a rare and complex EXIT procedure, which involved partially delivering Charlotte while keeping her attached to the placenta to maintain oxygen flow. During the surgery, doctors successfully inserted a breathing tube before fully delivering her, and Charlotte is now thriving. She spent two weeks in the NICU and is scheduled for surgery to remove the remaining growth. Her parents are grateful she’s eating, growing, and living like any healthy baby. Her story is a powerful reminder that prenatal diagnosis should be used to support life, not end it.
Quote of the Week
“There is no replacing people; people are the one resource that we cannot do without, and we simply need more people in this country, not fewer.”
~ PRI President Steven Mosher
