From 101 Million to 49 Million: Men’s Sperm Count Has Been Cut in Half Since 1973.

A 52% drop in 45 years. And the pace has more than doubled since 2000.

Average Sperm Concentration (Million per mL)

1973

101 M/mL

1985

87 M/mL

1995

76 M/mL

2005

64 M/mL

2018

49 M/mL

Intermediate values estimated from regression model

Source: Levine et al., Human Reproduction Update, 2022

Here’s a number most men have never seen.

In 1973, the average man had about 101 million sperm per milliliter. By 2018, that number had dropped to 49 million. That’s not a gentle fade. That’s cut in half… in one lifetime.

And the pace is picking up.

An international team led by researchers at Hebrew University and Mount Sinai pulled data from 53 countries — over 57,000 men — spanning more than four decades. They published their findings in one of the top reproductive science journals in the world. Over the full 45-year span, sperm counts fell about 1.2% a year on average. But since 2000, the pace has jumped to roughly 2.5% a year — more than double the long-run rate. Something in our environment shifted — and the researchers point straight at endocrine-disrupting chemicals in plastics, pesticides, and everyday household products.

Now… you might be thinking, “I’m past all that.” Fair enough. But sperm count isn’t just a fertility number. It tracks with a man’s overall health — heart disease risk, diabetes, even lifespan. When this number drops, it’s telling you something about the whole machine.

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And here’s the part that really gets me.

In 2024, the U.S. total fertility rate fell to 1.6 births per woman — the lowest ever recorded. Provisional 2025 data shows the general fertility rate slipped again. Replacement level is 2.1. We’re 24% below the line it takes just to keep the population from shrinking. Last week, The Guardian ran a piece headlined “Spermageddon” — covering both the sperm count trend and a new finding from the same research team that male testosterone has also halved over 50 years. It got a few clicks… and then everyone moved on. But the data doesn’t care about the news cycle.

Shanna Swan, one of the study’s co-authors, has projected that if the trend holds in a straight line, median sperm count would hit zero around 2045. Other researchers call that extrapolation an oversimplification — biological systems rarely decline forever on a straight line. But even the skeptics agree the trend itself is real, and the slope is steepening.

The Takeaway

“The average man today has half the sperm count his grandfather had in 1973 — a 52% drop in one lifetime. The U.S. is having fewer babies than at any point in its history, at just 1.6 per woman, well below the 2.1 needed to keep the population steady. And the rate of decline is speeding up, not slowing down.”

If you’ve got sons or grandsons, this is worth a real conversation. Not about politics. About biology. Sit down with them this week and talk about what’s in the food they eat, the water they drink, the plastic containers in their kitchen. The peer-reviewed data on the trend is clear — and it’s not waiting for anyone to pay attention.

More tomorrow. Stay sharp.

— Ray Calloway

*Disclaimer: Energy Exploration Technologies, Inc. (“EnergyX”) has engaged [Chart of the Day] to publish this communication in connection with EnergyX’s ongoing Regulation A offering. [Chart of the Day] has been paid $250 per lead___ in cash and may receive additional compensation. [Chart of the Day] and/or its affiliates do not currently hold securities of EnergyX.

This compensation and any current or future ownership interest could create a conflict of interest. Please consider this disclosure alongside EnergyX’s offering materials. EnergyX’s Regulation A offering has been qualified by the SEC. Offers and sales may be made only by means of the qualified offering circular. Before investing, carefully review the offering circular, including the risk factors. The offering circular is available at invest.energyx.com. Comparisons to other companies are for informational purposes only and should not imply similar results.

The Headline Was 'Spermageddon.' The News Cycle Moved On. The Data Didn't.

From 101 Million to 49 Million: Men’s Sperm Count Has Been Cut in Half Since 1973.

The U.S. Army’s First-of-its-Kind Lithium Deal

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