U.S. birth rate hits record low
The U.S. birth rate dropped to its lowest level since the beginning of the Great Depression, led by a drop among immigrants, according to a report data released Thursday by the Pew Research Center.
In 2011, the overall birth rate was 63.2 per 1,000 women of childbearing age, the lowest since at least 1920, Pew reported, citing numbers from the National Center for Health Statistics. The birth rate reached 122.7 in 1957, the peak of the Baby Boom. After the mid-1970s, the birth rate stabilized at about 65 to 70 births per 1,000 women annually, until the beginning of the Great Recession.
Since 2007, both the U.S. birth rate (the number of live births per 1,000 women ages 15-44) and the number of births have dropped significantly, according to the report.
Overall, the birth rate declined 8 percent from 2007 to 2010. Among U.S.-born women, the birth rate dropped 6 percent. The decline among foreign-born women was 14 percent. Among Mexican women, the birth rate fell even more, to 23 percent.
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What has the abortion rate done during those time frames?
Mitoch55 on November 30, 2012 at 9:18 AM
But, cats and dogs now have more costumes, collars and other accessories than any time in history.
Fallon on November 30, 2012 at 9:19 AM
In two hundred years, the final battle for Earth will be between the Chinese, Muslims and Mormons.
Greek Fire on November 30, 2012 at 9:25 AM
More diapers are sold to seniors in Japan than for children.
Akzed on November 30, 2012 at 9:25 AM
When you’re aborting most of them it’s hard to keep the numbers up.
Hey look! The X Factor is on!
Bishop on November 30, 2012 at 9:26 AM
It’s dropped as well.
My husband and I were talking about a third child. But he lost his job, and is waiting for a background check to start his new job. I’ve been less sure than I was that I want to bring another child into this mess.
Sekhmet on November 30, 2012 at 9:26 AM
The funniest part is that our brilliant liberal overlords were counting on high birth rates among illegal aliens to save us from their other terrible policies. The WaPost explains the latest “whoops”:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/us-birth-rate-plummets-to-its-lowest-since-1920/2012/11/29/ee7e8d16-3a3f-11e2-b01f-5f55b193f58f_story.html?hpid=z1
JeremiahJohnson on November 30, 2012 at 9:26 AM
Bye bye, Pax Americana.
tommy71 on November 30, 2012 at 9:27 AM
Social Security drives our cultural changes.
It has separated having children and end of life security.
It has led to easy divorce.
It has led to over use of contraception.
It has led to appalling numbers of abortions.
It has led to appallingly low marriage rates and successes.
That leads to the push for gay marriage rights demands.
Children are now a luxury, you can use other people’s children for your life security. They are now your slaves.
By the way old people. Every child aborted is one less child paying for your old age retirement benefits.
By the way young folks, every person near or already in retirement will make your end of life less secure, as they are driving the deficit and debt train.
Enjoy your just rewards as the system comes to a screeching halt and your welfare checks fail to arrive.
This will be the first year in my adult life where my income tax burden will be 0 or negative. The only taxes I will have paid are property, vehicle, SS, Medicare and Sales.
astonerii on November 30, 2012 at 9:28 AM
Surprising considering how many folks are getting screwed by the government.
hawkdriver on November 30, 2012 at 9:28 AM
Bring it forth. It will be part of your life security, and as long as you teach it well, it will be one of the inspirations for rebuilding the America we love.
astonerii on November 30, 2012 at 9:29 AM
Whatever happened to that Obama baby boom the media were so excited about a while back?
forest on November 30, 2012 at 9:31 AM
I’ve read this story. The government officials are shooting blanks.
Fallon on November 30, 2012 at 9:32 AM
Gay marriage will solve this when they all settle down and start producing children.
Bishop on November 30, 2012 at 9:34 AM
It’s because they’re raising cats now.
The Rogue Tomato on November 30, 2012 at 9:38 AM
It’s because the babies are refusing to be born already owing $10,000s.
Flange on November 30, 2012 at 9:40 AM
I don’t think it’s just abortion. Just my own little universe that I’m observing, but the wife and I have one child and that’s it for us. Her sister has no kids, and at age 38 and recently divorced(again) likely won’t ever. My sister has one child and may have one more. One of my friends in his early 30′s is days away from his first. But the rest of my friends who range from mid-30′s to early-40′s are not only childless but aren’t even married.
I think it’s both cultural and financial. A lot of my friends’ lives outside of work revolve around trivial crap like TV, sports, and video games, and they don’t find time for real life stuff(aside from their jobs). And most of them do ok salary-wise, but p-ss away a lot of their disposable income on the aforementioned trivial stuff leaving nothing for starting a family or even buying a house in the case of most of them. And my own personal one-child policy is definitely motivated in large part by financial considerations.
It’s the ultimately irony. Our federal, state, and local governments depend on a bunch of new young workers to keep funding their Ponzi schemes, yet its those very policies that disincentive procreation. Which is why we and Europe find ourselves on the brink at this time.
Doughboy on November 30, 2012 at 9:43 AM
Europe thought the same thing. It’s not working out so well.
BadgerHawk on November 30, 2012 at 9:47 AM
I’M TRYING! There’s only so many women I can see in a day.
ellesar04 on November 30, 2012 at 9:47 AM
No worries, the muslims have incredibly healthy birth rates. I’m thinking, 40-50 years from now….. don’t matter, good thing I won’t be around.
tommy71 on November 30, 2012 at 9:48 AM
Hard to believe a generation of self-centered narcissistic atheists aren’t having children.
ButterflyDragon on November 30, 2012 at 10:08 AM
The birth rate has decreased down because Obama is paying all the parasites to abort their children.
Pablo Honey on November 30, 2012 at 10:12 AM
Up yours. When the best I can find is a seasonal part-time position and pray I do well enough to be kept on after the holiday rush, starting a family is physically impossible.
If you can actually help, I am all ears.
MelonCollie on November 30, 2012 at 10:21 AM
The best estimate is around 55 million abortions since 1973. Think about all those lost tax-paying contributors to the economy (at least 25-30 million).
Ward Cleaver on November 30, 2012 at 10:44 AM
Damn. Over 50 million mothers and lester’s wasn’t one of them!
MelonCollie on November 30, 2012 at 10:49 AM
Agree. It works good until end of life, when the wrap up becomes a problem. I had neighbors from India who had a herd of extended family in their home. If one of them did not come home, the rest would start searching. A cat is nice, but a cat can’t fulfill this function
The herd is actually taking care of a bunch who never had kids via taxes
Sad solution – just have it and get the subsidies. You either have to start with nothing, and expect to live in a bad rental, and get food stamps and rent subsidies, or you have to liquidate the house, the two cars, the middle class, the credit rating, in return for gaining a child and eventually get to the same cheap rental. WIC program in Micigan
Sample Food Package for a child for one month:
3 gallons of milk
1 quart of milk
1 pound of cheese
1 dozen eggs
36 ounces of cereal
18 ounce jar of peanut butter, 16 ounce dry beans/peas or 4 cans beans/peas
2 bottles 64 ounce juice
2 pounds whole grains (breads, tortillas, brown rice or oatmeal)
$6.00 fresh fruits and vegetables
I know kids who couldn’t make it until they had a baby. Another person I know forfeit the works to have kids. She lost a normal lifestyle, but will have children when she gets old. Time waits for no one. When the middle of life is over, it is too late to have kids, just when you need them and the good lifestyle of youth is reduced to a photo album. Catholic charities probably have decent advice on surviving unaffordable pregnancy.
People are holding back because they are broke. So sad. The solution requires heroics but gains love
entagor on November 30, 2012 at 11:29 AM
My mother-in-law was one of 7 children. She had only 4 children, and they produced only 5 grandchildren. One son is gay, and one divorced after only one child. I am one of 5 children, and between us we produced only 8 grandchildren. One of us never married, and one had no children.
I am telling both of my children (still teenagers) to marry young and have lots of babies. They’re fun, they’re not as expensive as you think, and when they get older they will support you after the government runs out of money.
rockmom on November 30, 2012 at 12:11 PM
Children are God’s blessing.
SC.Charlie on November 30, 2012 at 12:21 PM
True. However, just wait until China’s one child per family law strikes that country. The effect of that law will be a nightmare. One child having to take care of two aging adults. When will that child have time to work as a slave in one of their government factories?
SC.Charlie on November 30, 2012 at 12:32 PM
Be careful on the last part. They may have had to move halfway across the country to find work.
MelonCollie on November 30, 2012 at 12:55 PM
Like bathtubs on a beach, business owners are about to get royally screwed. But since BigGov is impotent we will produce no economic offspring.
Capitalist Hog on November 30, 2012 at 2:52 PM