Jeff Caplan’s Minute of News: Baby or dog?

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SALT LAKE CITY — Would you rather have a baby or a dog?

Not a trick question! The birthrate has been falling for 75 years. The average American woman has 1.67 children. Not enough to replace us. Of course, here in Utah, we have more first graders with a “y” in their name than other states have children. But Utah’s birthrate’s been falling as well and if you want to see what rock bottom looks like, let’s visit South Korea.

It’s the home of the world’s lowest birthrate. Twenty-something women are turning their noses up at getting married, but even those who do still refuse to have children. The reasons are the ones you’d expect. We can’t afford it, too much hassle, we’re not ready.

These young South Koreans don’t want children, so, they get a dog. Usually a little itty bitty dog. The kind that yaps. They wheel the little dogs around in dog strollers.

And to the horror of elder South Koreans who want to be a Grandma or Papa, the Wall Street Journal reports that this past year, dog strollers outsold baby strollers in South Korea. Reaffirming the choice to be childless, countless restaurants ban children. But you’re allowed to bring your dog.

Meantime, the birthrate keeps falling here. We already have doggy birthday parties and puppy YouTube channels. It’s good to be a dog in America. Yes, even in Springfield, Ohio.

Jeff Caplan is the host of Jeff Caplan’s Afternoon News on KSL NewsRadio. Follow him on Facebook and X. 

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