Donald Trump’s proposal to offer a $5,000 “baby bonus” to boost the U.S. birthrate is being met with major backlash. With fertility rates dropping to 1.62 births per woman in 2023, Trump is pushing incentives like tax breaks, menstrual education funding, and Fulbright scholarship preferences for married parents.
But many Americans say the math doesn’t add up.
“$5,000 won’t even cover the copay on the hospital bill for the birth,” one person wrote. Another added, “That’s six months of Pampers!”
The average cost to raise a child in the U.S. until age 18 is over $237,000, according to a 2023 study cited by The Guardian. Meanwhile, birth expenses alone range from $10,000 to $18,000, and monthly baby costs are between $1,100 and $2,500.
“So who will cover the other $295,000+?” one user asked.
Critics say the plan ignores the real reasons people delay having children—financial instability, housing, healthcare, and career sacrifice. As one parent bluntly put it: “I have two toddlers, and I’m broke.”
