Birth Rates Decline: U.S. Faces Aging Population

Here’s how America can age gracefully. Let’s face it: Another baby boom isn’t coming anytime soon. The latest round of US birth data, released earlier this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, show the general fertility rate has dropped to a new record low of 53.1 per 1,000 females between 15 and 44 — a 23 percent decrease since the most recent peak in 2007. It’s the latest data point in a long global trend toward fewer children, which means our already aging populace will get even older over time, with fewer young workers to handle the economy and take care of the elderly in their twilight years. About one in eight Americans were over the age of 65 at the turn of the millennium; by 2040, it will be nearly one in five. The numbers set off a predictable round of hand-wringing over who to blame. Commentators on the right bemoaned “Girl-boss feminism,” with some even wishing for a return to more teen pregnancies, while those on the left have been pointing the finger squarely at America’s weak family policies like the lack of paid family leave and affordable child care. The fact is, however, that the trend lines are unlikely to reverse regardless of one’s preferred explanation. It is possible to prepare for a nation — and a world — with fewer children that’s both functional and pleasant to live in. No low-birth country in the world, from the most repressive misogynistic regimes to the most progressive governments offering generous leave and free childcare, has been able to put their society on These tropical forests are critically important. Why is this religious sect cutting them down? Take a mental break with the newest Vox crossword The Air Quality Index and how to use it, explained Why the latest would-be Trump assassin is so hard to figure out What the Supreme Court still has left to decide this term This is the title for the native ad A medical field that almost died is quietly fixing one disease at a time. An Open AI model posted impressive results in emergency care. But we still need human doctors. The cognitive trap that’s making us underestimate the Iran crisis. The official numbers are finally here. A new generation of influencers is changing the face of the movement. Thanks to PrEP drugs, a country without HIV was in reach. That’s now at risk. This is the title for the native ad