Americans
are having fewer children than ever before. According to new data
released by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), for the fourth year in
a row the number of children born in the United States has fallen. Last
year, 3,788,235 babies were born in the U.S. – a drop of 2% from the
previous year, and the lowest number in 32 years.
Behind
the drop in total births, however, is an even more dramatic and
troubling statistic. The overall fertility rate (i.e. the number of
children born per woman) has fallen to its lowest level ever, at just
1.72. As a general rule, for a population to replace itself, the average
birth rate needs to be 2.1 children born per woman.
Up
to a point, birth rates tend to reflect the health of the economy. The
healthier an economy, the more confident parents are that they can
provide for their children, and the more likely they are to have
children. At least, that’s the theory. Demographers had previously
linked the downturn in the birthrate over the past decade to the effects
of the 2008 recession. However, even though the economy has since
recovered, birth rates continue to fall – something that has taken
population experts by surprise....
