Birth Rates Fall Amid Economic Uncertainty

Births rates have declined in several states, a trend experts link to the uncertain economic outlook and high unemployment rate, NPR's "All Things Considered" reports.

Recent data indicate that Illinois' birth rate is at its lowest level since the Great Depression, with similar trends appearing in California and Arizona. Mark Mather, associate vice president of domestic programs at the Population Reference Bureau, said that the economic recession "has affected just about everybody" and that there is "a lot of uncertainty about the future." According to Mather, the U.S. birth rate has been "fairly steady" at around two to 2.1 births per woman, "but some of the state-level data suggest that in the coming years, we could see a drop."

The decline in birth rates started in 2008, Mather said. Most people were not feeling the full effects of the recession at the time those children were conceived, "but we were starting to see big drops in housing prices, maybe the stock market was starting to drop," he added.

It is "a little bit early to say" whether the decline in birth rates will be a national trend or stay isolated in certain states, Mather continued, noting the nine-month lag between when people make childbearing decisions and when births occur. He added that when put "in a broader context, [there are] a lot of other demographic, economic factors at work here that might lead to smaller cohorts of youth." These factors include an aging population and a growing number of women delaying childbearing because of their careers, according to Mather (Siegel, "All Things Considered," NPR, 8/25).

Chicago Tribune Focuses on Illinois Birth Rate

On Wednesday, the Chicago Tribune examined factors affecting Illinois' birth rate, which has dropped from 17.1 births per 1,000 state residents in 1990 to about 13.3 births for every 1,000 residents currently, according to an analysis of Census Bureau data.

According to the Tribune, the trend in Illinois is reflected nationally. An April report by the Pew Research Center found that U.S. birth rates began declining in 2008 after reaching their highest level in 20 years. Pew senior researcher Gretchen Livingston said there is a link between reduced fertility and financial difficulty, adding, "When things are tough economically, fertility goes down."

Data from the National Center for Health Statistics show that the U.S. fertility rate dropped to 67 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 in the 12 months ending in November 2009. The birth rate for the same period was 68.4 in 2008 and 69.2 in 2007 (Graham/Malone, Chicago Tribune, 8/25).


Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families.


© 2010 National Partnership for Women & Families. All rights reserved.