Birth Rates Decline…Again
For the sixth year in a row, the US government has announced that the birth rate has dropped once again. This trend has been going on consistently since 2007, especially with the economic recession of 2008, since many people did not have jobs or financial security. The birth rate is measured as the number of babies born per one thousand people considered of child bearing age, 15 to 44 years old.
Since COVID-19 hit the US, causing most people to quarantine, researchers predicted that the birth rate would rise since couples would be stuck at home. However, it turned out to be the exact opposite and the US saw an even bigger decline in birth rates. In 2020, births have declined by 4% in the US, but other groups have seen an even bigger drop. Between racial and ethnic groups there is a 3-9% decline, with Asian people having the biggest decline at 9%. In other age groups like teenagers, rates have declined by 8% in 2020. Teenagers ages 15-19 used to be a group with higher birth rates because of unplanned pregnancies and the desire to have kids young. The birth rate in teenagers has gone down by 63% since 2007.
However, I am not surprised the birth rate is declining and staying at this trend. It costs A LOT of money to raise a child. In fact, to raise a child from birth to 18 years old it costs about $233,610. But that number is only until they are 18 years old and does not consider post high school plans. If the child needs help financially with college, living on their own, or any other expenses after the age of 18, how much more would it cost? And, that is only for one kid. For a family of five, it is a huge financial burden for parents, especially since other expenses are necessary that do not involve their children.
Childbirth, adoption, maternal care, housing, food, education and transportation are some of the main factors of the cost of a child. Childbirth and maternal care go hand in hand. Pre and postpartum maternal care is expensive, around $5,000 with insurance, but without insurance it will cost anywhere from $30,000 to $50,000. Adoption is another expensive option costing about $43,000 through a private agency. With queer couples, extra costs can add up from sperm samples ($500) to surrogates up to $75,000. Food, transportation and housing together cost about $8,500 a year while education is one of the more hefty expenses for parents totaling up to $37,400.
Trends have shown that the birth rate has declined after economic disasters. After the stock market crash in the 1930’s, birth rates dropped until the economy improved. When the 2008 Great Recession took away jobs and put many people into tough financial situations, the birth rates declined again. However, after the economy improved the birth rate did not. The birth rate has stayed at a low rate since then and has gone even lower with the pandemic coming into play, which overall affected the economy.
But maybe the birth rate is low because people are not having kids as early as they used to. The average age to have a child in 2010 was 23 years old, but has increased today to 27 years old. This could be because of education, careers, finances and marriage. People want to finish their education, find a stable job and income and possibly wait for a partner to help them raise a child together. People have been found to have children later in life because of these factors. The rise of birth control has also come into the picture since almost 47,000,000 people are using some form of contraception.
Many people in their late teenage years and into their 20’s might not feel ready to take on the responsibilities of a parent and that’s okay!! It is not the 1950’s anymore and we do not need to feel pressured to have three children, be married, finish school, and have a steady income by the time we are 25. It is 2021 and we still have our whole lives ahead of us to make these decisions whether we want to give birth, adopt, become a pet parent, or none at all! We should not feel pressured whether or not we have children, but rather live our lives to our fullest potential.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/05/us/us-birthrate-falls-covid.html
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57003722
https://plutusfoundation.org/2021/a-breakdown-of-the-cost-of-raising-a-child/
