Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 19

Thread: U.S. birth rate falls for 4th year in a row

  1. #1
    Senior Member Ultralight's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Posts
    10,216

    U.S. birth rate falls for 4th year in a row

    Is this just keeping it simple or what?

    https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncn...mpression=true

    I wonder if more people just feel like it is not worth it, for a variety of reasons.

  2. #2
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Posts
    6,253
    Quoting the article above: "A closer look at the data suggests that Americans are not having enough babies to sustain the population."

    I am assuming the population being referred to is the U.S. population alone. The world population is still increasing according this:

    https://www.census.gov/newsroom/stor...opulation.html (did not copy hyperlink, sorry! May need to cut and paste)

    This one says: "The Census Bureau’s International Data Base estimates that the world population will reach 7.5 billion on September 19, 2018 at 12:22 a.m. EDT."

    On the whole, there are still a lot of people!
    To give pleasure to a single heart by a single act is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer." Mahatma Gandhi
    Be nice whenever possible. It's always possible. HH Dalai Lama
    In a world where you can be anything - be kind. Unknown

  3. #3
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    5,478
    There was something in the news about Italy's declining population. Many of the beautiful little villages are becoming nothing but old people and will surely die out. The young people they interviewed said it had to do with economics and jobs more than anything.

  4. #4
    Senior Member flowerseverywhere's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    3,061
    The EU has far below replacement birth rates as well.

    It presents us with an i interesting conundrum. Many countries don’t want immigrants. Or they only want doctors, nurses and other educated portions of the populations, only making the poorer countries worse off. With a less than replacement birth rate who is going to take care the old people? Who is going to pay SS and Medicare taxes to financially support them and our infrastructure?

    Here is an interesting chart

    https://www.statista.com/statistics/...ome-in-the-us/

    the rich will get richer, poverty will increase if this holds true.

    My 40 something kids have many friends and co workers who have childless or one child friends. As well as many posters here.

    I’m guessing there has to be some type of sensible immigration policy that allows a mix of skilled and unskilled labor but I don’t hold much hope. The current political extremes of open borders vs. keep all the non white non Christian people out ideologies are not going to be good for us in the long run. We need far more middle of the road policies and politicians on both side of the aisle who are far more willing to come up with compromising solutions instead of investigating each other and spouting conspiracy theories non stop.

  5. #5
    Yppej
    Guest
    Having children is very expensive in the US. To cover the family medical insurance plan can be over $10,000 a year in premiums alone, so most couples feel both of them need to work, and with longer commutes sometimes in opposite directions that means two vehicles. Both parents working in turn necessitates day care, which in most places costs more than tuition and fees at a state university, and unlike higher education cannot be financed through loans or shifted onto the taxpayer through loan forgiveness programs.

  6. #6
    Senior Member flowerseverywhere's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    3,061
    Quote Originally Posted by Yppej View Post
    Having children is very expensive in the US. To cover the family medical insurance plan can be over $10,000 a year in premiums alone, so most couples feel both of them need to work, and with longer commutes sometimes in opposite directions that means two vehicles. Both parents working in turn necessitates day care, which in most places costs more than tuition and fees at a state university, and unlike higher education cannot be financed through loans or shifted onto the taxpayer through loan forgiveness programs.
    I totally agree with you. another aspect is there has been a huge decline in pensions available. Most people today have to fund their own retirement and it does not appear if we continue on the same trajectory social security and Medicare will exist as we know it twenty years from now. Many of current retirees had at least one member of the couple with some type of pension available, allowing for a stay at home mom or even the ability to work part time, a huge difference is childcare costs.

    Even the government is sounding an alarm

    https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/ssb/v69n3/v69n3p1.html

    of course times were vastly different sixty years ago when I was a kid. Very few people today would Willingly go back to one car, no restaurant, cable, cell phone hand me down and make it do or do without philosophies. Which is why I think so many people gravitate here and to mister money mustache type forums and blogs. Because what we are doing now as a culture is not going to bode well for future generations.

  7. #7
    Senior Member Ultralight's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Posts
    10,216
    Even after I block her the trolling continues.

  8. #8
    Simpleton Alan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    9,389
    Quote Originally Posted by Ultralight View Post
    Even after I block her the trolling continues.
    Even knowing the history, I didn't think of you in that post.
    "Things should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler." ~ Albert Einstein

  9. #9
    Senior Member Ultralight's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Posts
    10,216
    Quote Originally Posted by Alan View Post
    Even knowing the history, I didn't think of you in that post.
    Shocker.

  10. #10
    Senior Member rosarugosa's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Eastern Massachusetts
    Posts
    8,140
    I think it's OK for someone to post about her disapproval of the student loan forgiveness program, but not OK for someone to bash a specific person who may be part of that program. Just like it's OK to to express disapproval about Trump and his policies, but not OK to call Alan names because he may vote for him.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •