INCONVENIENT TRUTH OF BIRTH DEARTH
The number of babies born in the United States was the lowest in more than four decades, with women giving birth to 3.61 million babies in 2020, down 4% from the previous year. The total fertility rate fell to 1.64, the lowest number since the 1930s. Researcher W. Brad Wilcox attributed the decline to delays in marriage, greater emphasis on work and education, and advances in technology that reduce socializing. “We could be on the cusp of a major demographic shift,” he said.