The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the nation saw fewer babies born in 2022 compared to 2021.I quoted Vox last year, who wrote "2021 represents the first time since 2014 that the number of babies born in the US actually increased...But make no mistake: This is not a baby boom that is meant to last." I concurred, writing "I agree with Vox; this is likely just a temporary reversal of a long-term trend." So far, Vox and I are right.
CNBC Television explained the trend last year in Why the birth rate in the U.S. is falling.
Children are really expensive to raise in the United States. Economists say people may be taking that into consideration when deciding whether to have kids. Fertility rates dropped ahead of the Great Recession in 2007, suggesting having children may be an indicator of people's confidence about the future. Despite this, public opinion polling suggests that financial anxiety is not actually deterring Americans from having children. Watch the video above to learn why the birth rate is falling and what the Covid pandemic may mean for future fertility rates.The U.S. is part of a global trend among wealthier countries for fewer births, longer lives, more older people, and slowing population growth or even outright decline, as the United Nations described in 8 Billion People And Counting: What Now? | World Population Day 2023.
The global population has reached 8 billion, what does this mean for the future of our world?That is probably the most optimistic take on growing global population I've seen in a long time. It's certainly not gloom and doom. It's also very timely, as I'm teaching a unit on population right now. I might even show this video to my students tomorrow. Welcome to blogging as professional development.
Dr. Rachel Snow of the United Nations Population Fund is here to answer your questions.
No comments:
Post a Comment