Scientists have uncovered new evidence that Americans may be heading toward what Elon Musk deemed ‘the greatest risk to the future of civilization.’

Researchers at Michigan State University (MSU) discovered the percentage of people who never want children has doubled over the past 20 years nationwide.

They found the percentage of childless adults who do not want any children rose from 14 percent in 2002 to 29 percent in 2023.

Jennifer Watling Neal, a psychology professor, said: ‘During the same period, the percent of nonparents who plan to have children in the future fell from 79 percent to 59 percent.’

The team used data from the National Survey of Family Growth, a nationwide survey on family planning that included submissions from 80,000 adults under age 45.

Participants who reported wanting to remain childfree were predominantly female (51 percent) and white (72 percent).

Musk, who boasts of ‘always banging the baby drum’, has been warning about worldwide population collapse for years, claiming it will be ‘the biggest problem the world will face in 20 years.’

The billionaire, who has 14 children with four different women, has said that low birth rates mean few workers, increased debt, strained healthcare and pension systems and total social unrest. 

Elon who has 14 children with four different women, has been warning about a decline in births for years

For the new study, the team uncovered six categories for adults without children: Childfree, biologically unable but wanted them, socially childless, not yet parents, ambivalent and undecided.

Socially childless refers to individuals who do not want children due to factors such as economic hardships or social constraints. 

Those who reported ‘ambivalent’ are open to having children but without a clear preference.

The majority of individuals in the groups lived in metropolitan areas (up to 99 percent) and were employed (up to 72 percent).

Those in the ‘not yet parents’ and ‘undecided’ groups were among the youngest, with an average age of 23 to 24, according to the study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family.

A significant portion of childfree participants identified as LGBTQ+ (36 percent), highlighting diversity in parenthood preferences.

While researchers observed a decline in the prevalence of ‘not yet parents’ from 2002 to 2023, they saw a rise in ‘childfree,’ ‘ambivalent’ and ‘undecided’ individuals.

These shifts, according to the team, may reflect broader societal trends influencing the birth rate decline in the US.

Researchers found childfree Americans rose from 14 percent in 2002 to 29 percent in 2023. Participants who reported wanting to remain childfree were predominantly female (51 percent) and white (72 percent)

The study, however, did not list specific reason for individuals who reported they wanted to remain childfree. 

According to the CDC, data released last year showed a three percent decrease in birth rates from 2022.

‘This marks the second consecutive year of decline, following a brief one percent increase from 2020 to 2021,’ the agency’s National Center for Health Statistics shared.

‘From 2014 to 2020, the rate consistently decreased by two percent annually.’

Musk has been warning about a decline in births for years.

In 2022, the billionaire tweeted: ‘Population collapse due to low birth rates is a much bigger risk to civilization than global warming… mark these words.’

And at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity last June, he referred to declining birth rates as leading to a potential ‘mass extinction’ of humanity.

However,many demographers and experts have said Musk’s fears may be overstated.

According to recent projections, the global population is expected to continue growing until it peaks around the mid-2080s, reaching approximately 10.3 billion, before experiencing a gradual decline to about 10.2 billion by 2100.

Joseph Chamie, a consulting demographer and a former director of the United Nations Population Division, told CNN: ‘He’s better off making cars and engineering than at predicting the trajectory of the population.

‘Yes, some countries, their population is declining, but for the world, that’s just not the case.’

He added that ‘virtually every developed country’ has seen birth rates below two percent, but that is the way ‘it has been for 20 or 30 years.’

Ken Johnson, a professor of sociology at the University of New Hampshire, said the rate is down in the US due to a ‘significant’ decline in teen births.

‘Most demographers would see that as a good thing,’ he said. 

The fertility rate in the US plunged to another new low last year, with fewer women than at any point in history having children.

The rate was 54.5 births per 1,000 women of childbearing age (15 to 44 years old) last year, a three percent fall compared to 56 in 2022.

The number of babies born in the US also declined year-over-year, with just under 3.6 million live births in 2023.

Experts have warned that the US is headed for a so-called ‘underpopulation crisis’ by 2050, when too few people are born to support its current economic system.

The drop is sparking alarm because of the shrinking workforce and taxpayer pool — which threatens to throw many communities into jeopardy.

Social Security — which pays pensions — is already expected to run out of money in only ten years, while a key trust fund for Medicare may be emptied by 2031.

There are also warnings the shift will force a complete reorganization of society, as more of the population is older and unable to work.