U.S. Birthrate Declines for Third Year on Economic Worries

(Bloomberg) The U.S. birthrate fell 3 percent last year, the third straight decline, as the economy faltered and women delayed having children.

The birthrate dropped to 66.2 for every 1,000 women ages 15 to 44, the lowest since 1987, according to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The teen birthrate fell to the lowest since records began, declining 9 percent from 2009, at 34.3 births per 1,000 teenagers.

“You do see people make choices about family size in tough economic times, and that’s consistent with this data,” Preston Britner, professor of human development and family studies at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, said in a phone interview. “In an economy like this you see people making choices about at least delaying childbirth.”

The total fertility rate of 1,932 births per 1,000 women was below the 2,100-birth level at which the population can be replaced, the report said. Without enough children to replace parents as they die, countries may be burdened with the costs of elder care as the population ages and maintaining infrastructure without enough workers. ...............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-18/u-s-birthrate-declines-for-third-year-on-economic-worries.html