It was already known that Americans are not getting married anymore, and that has gravely affected birthrates. However, it is even worse now with COVID-19, as US birthrates according to the UK Daily Mail are continuing to plummet with the virus being attributed as a cause for the decline.
The number of babies born in the US fell to its lowest level in 35 years in 2019, according to a preliminary report.
The decline is the latest sign of a prolonged national ‘baby bust’ that’s been going on for more than a decade.
Some experts believe the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the economy will suppress the numbers even further in 2020 and years to come.
‘This unpredictable environment, and anxiety about the future, is going to make women think twice about having children,’ said Dr Denise Jamieson, chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Emory University.
But other experts say its possible that birth rates will rise as a result of the pandemic, which has made it more difficult for women to access birth control and abortions.
The latest numbers were released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report, which is considered preliminary, is based on a review of 99.96 percent of birth certificates issued last year.
The CDC found the number of births fell about one percent from 2018, to about 3.7 million. Birth rates continued to fall for teen moms and for women in their 20s.
American women are now projected to have about 1.71 children over their lifetimes – down one percent from 2018 (1.73) and below the rate of 2.1 needed to exactly replace a generation.
Aside from a one-year uptick in 2014, US births have been falling every year since 2007, when a recession hit the country. The drop continued even after the economy rebounded.
Prior to 2007, the fertility rate had remained consistently below replacement levels since 1971. (source)
There has been some hope that a small “baby boom” might come as a result of couples spending more time together. However, this has been sporadic and the results are yet to be seen.
There are a lot of problems today as in the past related to sex and sexuality. But children need not be a problem, for where people are having sexual relations, children are supposed to follow. But this is not happening, for in spite of all of the gadgets, items, and other things claiming to makes one’s life more pleasurable, the only increase for most people has been in sterility and laziness.
People are at the heart of every society. If the people will not reproduce, they will be replaced by people who will reproduce. That is a fact of history that knows no racial, social, economic, or political divisions, but only the willingness of a people to exist or cease to exist by choice.
What do you choose?