US birth rate falls to lowest point in more than a century

[BUtterfield 8 41,816]

The U.S. birth rate fell 4% last year, the largest single-year decrease in nearly 50 years, according to a government report being released Wednesday.

The rate dropped for moms of every major race and ethnicity, and in nearly age group, falling to the lowest point since federal health officials started tracking it more than a century ago.

Births have been declining in younger women for years, as many postponed motherhood and had smaller families.

Birth rates for women in their late 30s and in their 40s have been inching up. But not last year.

“The fact that you saw declines in births even for older moms is quite striking,” said Brady Hamilton, of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the lead author of the new report.

The CDC report is based on a review of more than 99% of birth certificates issued last year. The findings echo a recent Associated Press analysis of 2020 data from 25 states showing that births had fallen during the coronavirusoutbreak.

The pandemic no doubt contributed to last year's big decline, experts say. Anxiety about COVID-19 and its impact on the economy likely caused many couples to think that having a baby right then was a bad idea.

But many of the 2020 pregnancies began well before the U.S. epidemic. CDC researchers are working on a follow-up report to better parse out how the decline unfolded, Hamilton said.

Source

[Lilbit 1,596]

People can’t afford to give birth. It costs tens of thousands of dollars here. People who can’t afford health insurance are told they don’t qualify for Medicare. 
Higher education is a scam here. Most millennials are back with their parents or could never afford to leave…

And this was before the Panda Express. 

[TimisaMonster 31,073]

Well quarantine is obviously to blame...people couldn't hookup and people got bored at home with their partners...

Plus...it doesn't hurt honestly...let birth rates chill out

[AJRocketMan 2,684]

Bad for social security and the country’s tax base, but good for the planet.

[Guest]

Good.

[Squidward T 2,470]

Yay for population control. Seriously, who would want to raise a kid in this crazy world right now 

[BUtterfield 8 41,816]

3 minutes ago, Agunimon said:

Good.

It’s actually not good:

If fertility does not soon rise to 2.0 (the level assumed in federal population projections as the ultimate birth rates expected for the remainder of this century) then the policy challenges driven by population aging will become even more urgent. 

Take, for example, Social Security and Medicare. Both programs impose heavy fiscal burdens on society. Much of this cost is workforce related and paid through taxes tied to earnings and income.

The significant reduction in fertility in the U.S., if not offset by enhanced immigration or greater worker productivity, puts these programs at risk. But productivity growth over the last decade has lagged the improvements seen in previous recoveries, and the prospects for increasing immigration seem dim. 

https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/388618-effects-of-low-birth-rates-will-reverberate-for-years-to-come

[Guest]

1 hour ago, BUtterfield 8 said:

It’s actually not good:

If fertility does not soon rise to 2.0 (the level assumed in federal population projections as the ultimate birth rates expected for the remainder of this century) then the policy challenges driven by population aging will become even more urgent. 

Take, for example, Social Security and Medicare. Both programs impose heavy fiscal burdens on society. Much of this cost is workforce related and paid through taxes tied to earnings and income.

The significant reduction in fertility in the U.S., if not offset by enhanced immigration or greater worker productivity, puts these programs at risk. But productivity growth over the last decade has lagged the improvements seen in previous recoveries, and the prospects for increasing immigration seem dim. 

https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/388618-effects-of-low-birth-rates-will-reverberate-for-years-to-come

[FFXIV WhiteMage 6,309]

More and more people are reconsidering having a child after the internet exploded. We have more awareness of how we are overspending the Earth’s resources. And that you can still start a family in your 30s so most of the millennials (and soon gen z) are taking their time before starting a family. Unlike before where a woman will be shamed if she’s not married before her mid 20s 

[Helxig 45,330]

I told y'all in the thread about condom sales that this is why they've skyrocketed 

Who the hell can afford to have a baby? Having a child in this economy can bankrupt a family and stretch them past their breaking points. Especially in the US where if you don't have insurance they charge you like $20,000 to even have the baby

I keep being reminded recently how grateful I am to be gay and never have to worry about accidentally creating a baby    what a concept. Sorry straights

[gothicdream 39,655]

I have a uterus and I have absolutely no intention to birth a human 

[CatelynnMarie 4,533]

22 minutes ago, Healed My Heart said:

I have a uterus and I have absolutely no intention to birth a human 

This. 

[Lucas 31,089]

Glad to hear that! Overpopulation is also a factor that is destroying our planet.
But I guess it will increase quite a lot once covid will be "over"

[Starlit 68]

Can someone please explain to me why the CDC is carrying out these population reviews? Seriously asking. This must be part of wider study regarding a link between COVID and population? I’m just confused as to why The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention is conducting a review on something I thought was The Census Bureau’s job? 

[OMF 3,649]

Lol during a massive pandemic? No!