US births continue to decline as experts warn of economic implications
May 5, 2021
WASHINGTON (SBG) — The number of children born in the United States declined for the sixth straight year in 2020 as fertility rates hit record lows, and experts say the coronavirus pandemic is likely to exacerbate those trends this year as young adults grapple with rising costs and economic uncertainty.
According to provisional estimates released Wednesdayby the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, births in the U.S. dropped by about 4% from 2019 to 2020 to 3.6 million, the fewest since 1979. The general fertility rate, a measure of births per 1,000 women ages 15-44, also fell 4% to the lowest level on record.
