US Birth Rate Lowest Since 1920, Likely From Recession

A new report shows that the US birth rate has fallen to the lowest level since records began in 1920. The report, put out by the Pew Research Center, suggests that the drop may be partially because of falling birth rates among foreign-born women who immigrate to the US.

The researchers looked at US census data, as well as CDC statistics that have been collected between 1990 and 2010, reports CBS News. They discovered that the US birth rate has declined by eight percent between 2007 and 2010.

The US birth rate now stands at 63.2 births per 1,000 women who are at childbearing age. The number is the lowest recorded since reliable statistic were first kept in 1920. The birth rate for America peaked during the “Baby Boom” era in 1957 when it reached 122.7 births per 1,000 women — almost double what it is today.

D’Vera Cohn, co-author of the Pew study, stated:

“Latinos have been hit particularly hard by the recession, and the downturn in births is especially sharp for immigrants.”

The statistics lead researchers to believe that the recession is the driving force behind the record low birth rate in America, notes The Wall Street Journal. Immigrant women generally have a higher birth rate than the US population as a whole. The study showed, however that the rate for foreign-born women dropped by 14 percent between 2007 and 2010.

The US birth rate generally declines during a recession or other major economic crisis, according to previous data. Other economic crises included the Great Depression in the 1930s and the oil shock of the 1970s. The birth rates have, in the past, bounced back after economic conditions improved.

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