U.S. Population Over Last Decade Grew at Slowest Rate Since 1930s
With immigration leveling off and a declining birthrate, the United States may be entering an era of substantially lower population growth, demographers said.
Combined with the decline in inflows of immigrants, and shifting age demographics — there are now more Americans 80 and older than 2 or younger — the United States may be entering an era of substantially lower population growth, demographers said, putting it with the countries of Europe and East Asia that face serious long-term challenges with rapidly aging populations.
“This is a big deal,” said Ronald Lee, a demographer who founded the Center on the Economics and Demography of Aging at the University of California at Berkeley. “If it stays lower like this, it means the end of American exceptionalism in this regard.”
It used to be clear where the country was headed demographically, Professor Lee said — faster growth than many other rich nations. But that has changed.
“Right now it is very murky,” he said.
“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.” ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
"Choose your leaders with wisdom and forethought. To be led by a coward is to be controlled by all that the coward fears… To be led by a liar is to ask to be told lies." -Octavia E. Butler
US birth rate sees biggest fall for nearly 50 years
The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated a longer-term trend for women to have fewer children, with the rate dropping to 1.6 per woman
The US birth rate has fallen 4% in the largest single-year drop in nearly 50 years, according to a government report.
The rate dropped for mothers of every major race and ethnicity, and in nearly all age groups, falling to the lowest point since federal health officials started tracking it more than a century ago, the report due to be published on Wednesday said.
Births have been declining in younger women for years, as many postponed motherhood and had smaller families.
Birth rates for women in their late 30s and in their 40s have been inching up. But not last year.
The US once was among only a few developed countries with a fertility rate above the 2.1 children per woman that ensured each generation had enough children to replace itself.
“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.” ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
Not surprising. The pandemic has proved that the state and federal governments don't give a damn about working women. What group has the highest number of out of work people? Moms with young children.
Too often, there is no paid maternity leave (and no paternity), affordable childcare, government support for low income families, medical insurance for the kids, etc. I'm hoping Biden-Harris will get it done.
You can't wait until life isn't hard anymore before you decide to be happy.
Lani wrote: ↑Tue May 04, 2021 11:44 pm
Not surprising. The pandemic has proved that the state and federal governments don't give a damn about working women. What group has the highest number of out of work people? Moms with young children.
Too often, there is no paid maternity leave (and no paternity), affordable childcare, government support for low income families, medical insurance for the kids, etc. I'm hoping Biden-Harris will get it done.
My understanding is the USA is WAY behind the curve when it comes to most modern westernized nations on this front. "Exceptional", we are, eh? There is a big pro-life pro-birth movement, but they don't give a F after the baby is out of the womb.
Lani wrote: ↑Tue May 04, 2021 11:44 pm
Not surprising. The pandemic has proved that the state and federal governments don't give a damn about working women. What group has the highest number of out of work people? Moms with young children.
Too often, there is no paid maternity leave (and no paternity), affordable childcare, government support for low income families, medical insurance for the kids, etc. I'm hoping Biden-Harris will get it done.
My understanding is the USA is WAY behind the curve when it comes to most modern westernized nations on this front. "Exceptional", we are, eh? There is a big pro-life pro-birth movement, but they don't give a F after the baby is out of the womb.
The US is way behind the other countries. Urge women to have babies, then complain when they need SNAP, healthcare, school supplies.....
Here's the chart I posted recently on the forum (somewhere or another )
%change.png (79.05 KiB) Viewed 6278 times
You can't wait until life isn't hard anymore before you decide to be happy.
State officials announced Friday that the nation’s most populous state lost 182,083 people in 2020. California’s population is now just under 39.5 million. It had shown only very small annual increases for the last several years.
Last week, the U.S. Census Bureau announced the state would lose a congressional seat for the first time because it grew more slowly than other states during the past decade.
State officials blamed the loss on a declining birth rate, reductions in immigration and an increase in deaths because of the coronavirus, which killed 51,000 people in 2020.
The state Department of Finance says it expects California to add population next year.
“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.” ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
These numbers were expected as, without immigration, the US population was calculated to start contracting in 2022. Of course, the challenge is multi fold in these numbers:
1. Our population is aging and will have some of the same challenges that Japan and South Korea have had with the burden of personal health care falling upon the young generation. Japan has made many inroads with some automation and robotics to assist a person with declining health maintain an independent living situation, but nothing truly game changing.
2. Immigrants are high performers. The US has received about 42% of Nobel prizes with a disproportionate amount number of these being immigrants. Some of the more prominent American companies founded by immigrants include: Google; Intel; PayPal; eBay; Snapchat; 52% of all startups in Silicon Valley.
3. Immigrants make up 13-15% of the population but account for 40% of international patent applications from the US; 60% of those originating from Cisco;64% of those from General Electric;65% from Merck; and 72% from Qualcomm.
4. Immigrants start twice as many new companies per capita.
These are all needed. But, I would caution that there is this assumption that immigrants will tend to vote democratic which is certainly the case now. But, as far as family values and other traditional values, they are likely to vote conservative (and for lower taxes).
The US is a unique population with those stereotypical boisterous, optimistic and outgoing characteristics being perhaps due to the dopaminergic personality that migration selectively favors. This is put forth in an interesting book “The Molecule of More” by Lieberman
That's what terrifies Texas and a broad swath of republican states. It's inevitable, and they know it. That's what a lot of the new Jim Crow laws are about.
"Choose your leaders with wisdom and forethought. To be led by a coward is to be controlled by all that the coward fears… To be led by a liar is to ask to be told lies." -Octavia E. Butler
How true are these numbers? The rhetoric prolly scared a certain percentage into not participating. Could the Hispanic % actually be higher?
What, no dfo-related cause for lower birth rate? I know 3 young women just out of college who said no way (before COVID), ima wait for a less toxic time. There must be more.
Phoenix520 wrote: ↑Thu Aug 12, 2021 2:01 pm
How true are these numbers? The rhetoric prolly scared a certain percentage into not participating. Could the Hispanic % actually be higher?
Almost certainly.
NY Times wrote:
Thursday’s findings are the result of the most embattled census process in decades, conducted during a pandemic under the administration of Donald J. Trump, who tried unsuccessfully to have unauthorized immigrants removed from the count. Some of those immigrants may have been afraid to respond to the census, though states like New York went out their way to count them.
Not even almost, definitely. It already comes in low in normal counts, it's going to be extra low 'cause of tfg and his shenanigans.
“Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” —John Adams