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New research shows decline in marriage, birth rates
Since the collapse of the U.S economy, American's have been cutting back or going without. And while you may be thinking cars, homes, or even vacations, it's the family unit itself that may be paying the ultimate price.
Not only are people delaying having kids, they're also postponing marriage. Fewer and fewer adults are taking that next step into married life and even fewer are deciding to have children. In fact, we're seeing the smallest population gain since World War II. As the saying goes it makes the world go round. Money seems to control our everyday lives, but it may also be controlling our future. According to a new report, birth rates in the United States have now reached a 12-year low. One theory behind the drop is the economy. "The state of the economy is part of it, a lot of people are opting to delay pregnancy, start their families later," said Barb Frei, Hastings Family Planning. And while Nebraska may not have been hit as hard by the financial downturn, we are following the national trend. "2-3 percent in the local area, not a significant of a delay as on the national level, but definitely a decline," Frei said. A Pew survey conducted earlier this year, found that more than one in five young adults between the ages of 18 and 34 has delayed having children because of the economic slowdown. Along with couples, teen pregnancies are also down. "The United States is seeing a 10% decline in teen pregnancy. Nebraska's is actually a little bit ahead of that at 11%," said Frei. But babies aren't the only decline for couples, fewer and fewer young adults are even getting married. The share of 18-29 year olds who were married fell from 59 percent to 20 percent between 1960 and 2010. The decline in births may also hurt spending on things like diapers, child care and education which in turn has an effect on the economy as a whole. |
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