U.S. Birthrate, Fertility Drops Dramatically, Below Replacement Level

Women in the United States are having fewer babies than ever before — and much later in life, according to data released by National Center for Health Statistics.

Researchers found that the total number of births per 1,000 women between the ages of 15 and 44 dropped from 62.5 per 1,000 in the first quarter of 2016 to 61.5 per 1,000 in the first quatert of 2017.

That drop by one percentage point is too big of a decline to happen by chance, Brady Hamilton, an expert on fertility data, said to CNN.

But while birth rates for teenagers and those under the age of 30 declined to record lows, there was actually an increase in birth rates among women 30 or older . . .

Overall, the decrease in birth rates technically puts the United States population below replacement level, Hamilton said — “but not dramatically so.” (Read more from “U.S. Birthrate, Fertility Drops Dramatically, Below Replacement Level” HERE)

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