US Birth Rate Hits All-Time Low: What's Behind the Decline?

livescience - The number of babies being born in the United States continues to fall, with the birth rate reaching a new record low in 2017, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Last year, about 3.8 million babies were born in the U.S., which is 2 percent lower than the number born in 2016, and the lowest recorded number of births in 30 years, according to the report.

What's more, there were about 60 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44, which is 3 percent lower than the rate in 2016, and the lowest recorded rate since the government started tracking birth rates in 1909.

World population to hit 9.8 billion by 2050, despite nearly universal lower fertility rates – UN

21 June 2017 – The world population is now nearly 7.6 billion, up from 7.4 billion in 2015, spurred by the relatively high levels of fertility in developing countries – despite an overall drop in the number of children people have around the globe – the United Nations today reported.

The concentration of global population growth is in the poorest countries, according to World Population Prospects: The 2017 Revision, presenting a challenge as the international community seeks to implement the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, which seeks to end poverty and preserve the planet.

“With roughly 83 million people being added to the world's population every year, the upward trend in population size is expected to continue, even assuming that fertility levels will continue to decline,” said the report's authors at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (ontinueReading



















At this rate, the world population is expected to reach 8.6 billion in 2030, 9.8 billion in 2050 and surpass 11.2 billion in 2100.



















The growth is expected to come, in part, from the 47 least developed countries, where the fertility rate is around 4.3 births per woman, and whose population is expected to reach 1.9 billion people in 2050 from the current estimate of one billion.



















In addition, the populations in 26 African countries are likely to “at least double” by 2050, according to the report.



















That trend comes despite lower fertility rates in nearly all regions of the world, including in Africa, where rates fell from 5.1 births per woman from 2000-2005 to 4.7 births from 2010-2015.

Study sees U.S. life expectancy falling further behind other countries

cbsnews.com - Life expectancy in the United States is already much lower than most other high-income countries and is expected to fall even further behind by 2030, new research published today predicts.

According to the most recent government figures, life expectancy at birth in the United States is 76.3 years for men and 81.2 years for women.

Using a number of forecasting models, researchers from the U.K. predict life expectancy in the U.S. will improve to 83.3 years for women and 79.5 years for men by the year 2030.

But despite these modest gains, the United States is still lagging behind other developed countries.

“The USA has the highest child and maternal mortality, homicide rate, and body-mass index of any high-income country, and was the first of high-income countries to experience a halt or possibly reversal of increase in height in adulthood, which is associated with higher longevity,” the authors write.

The United States also lacks universal health coverage available in other high-income countries and has the largest share of unmet health care needs due to financial costs.

The study, published in The Lancet, predicts and ranks life expectancy for 35 developed countries across Asia, North and Latin America, Australia, and Europe.

The findings predict life expectancy is likely to be highest for women in South Korea at 90.8 years, France at 88.6 years, and Japan at 88.4 years. For men, life expectancies will be highest in South Korea at 84.1 years, and Australia and Switzerland, both at 84 years.

The researchers say other nations, particularly the United States, could take lessons from these countries when it comes to improving life expectancies.

“For example, South Korea projected gains may be the result of continued improvements in economic status which has improved nutrition for children, access to health care and medical technology across the whole population,” study author James Bennett, PhD, of Imperial College London, told CBS News. “South Korea has lower disease risk factors — for example, they appear better at dealing with high blood pressure and have low rates of obesity. A very equitable society means that the whole population has benefitted from improvements.”

Unlike other studies, which typically rely on a single model to predict life expectancy, the researchers used a statistical technique used in weather forecasting to develop 21 models to predict life expectancy in the countries studied. (ontinueReading

Young people proving to be North Dakota's fastest-growing demographic

(GrandForksHerald) - North Dakota is growing, and those changes are most obvious for one group: young people.

Kevin Iverson, manager of the U.S. Census office with the North Dakota Department of Commerce, said the state's growing population has grown the most among 20 to 34 year olds, followed by those 4 year olds and younger—in part because of an inflow of new residents generated by a strong economy.

Iverson said data from the U.S. Census Bureau tracked the state's data from April 2010 through July 2014, though 2015 numbers will be available in coming months. Still, he said, the data has important ramifications for the state.

"Ten years ago, a lot of discussions in the state of North Dakota centered around school consolidation—how are we going to keep the football team operating?" he said, ticking off rising school construction and day care issues as well as a higher labor participation rate. "I believe very strongly that the reason we're gaining younger individuals is that we're gaining workforce opportunities."

Iverson provided a trove of data to illustrate the trend. The number of 20 to 34 year olds has increased around the state from about 150,000 to nearly 179,000 between 2010 and 2014—an increase of about 17.1 percent. In Grand Forks County, that change was 11.9 percent; in Cass County, it was 11.2 percent; in Burleigh County it was 11.5 percent.

According to data provided by Iverson, some of the most drastic relative changes in young populations have happened in smaller, western counties. For example, McKenzie County saw a 116.8 percent growth among the same cohort, and Dunn County saw a 73.4 percent increase.

Statewide, groups of older residents—especially those who are age 65 and older—have grown, albeit more slowly than expected. Iverson said part of the issue has been a relatively national housing market—giving retirees more freedom to move around the country—coupled with issues like the 2011 Minot flood, which he said likely affected the elderly more than the young. (Full Story)

UN forecasts end of global population explosion

(IrishTimes) 8/12/15 - For the past 200 years the global population has risen explosively. There were 1 billion humans in 1850. There are 7.3 billion today. Ever since the Industrial Revolution, humanity has lived in quiet dread that somewhere there is a limit, and the Malthusian horsemen of plague, starvation and war will one day punish our effrontery.

Demographic change is easy to miss, because it happens slowly, but we stand on the cusp of a profound change in the human condition. New projections from the UN suggest that, in a few decades, we could secure a stable global population.

To be clear, the forecasts do not show an imminent end to population growth – far from it. The global population has the momentum of an elephant on an ice rink. The UN’s medium-variant projection shows a rise to 9.7 billion people in 2050 and 11.2 billion by 2100.

But recent data and short-term forecasts also show a dramatic slide in fertility rates. People everywhere are having fewer babies. If the trend continues then, in decades, the global population will flatten out. The UN says there is a 23 per cent chance of that happening by 2100.

The plunge in childbearing is startling. Eighty-three countries containing 46 per cent of the world’s population – including every single country in Europe – now have fertility below replacement rate of about 2.1 births per woman. Another 46 per cent live in countries where the birth rate has fallen sharply. In 48 countries the population will decline between now and 2050.

World population to reach 8.5B by 2030, UN report says

(foxnews.com) 07/29/15 - The world’s population is projected to increase to 8.5 billion by the year 2030, and exceed 11 billion within the next century, a United Nations report released Wednesday said.

The report also said rapidly growing Nigeria is expected to eclipse the United States to become the third most populous country within the next 35 years.

The "World Population Prospects: 2015 Revision" also predicted that India is expected to surpass China as the most populous country within the next decade. China and India, currently the countries with the largest populations, are home to more than 1 billion people apiece. Together, they represent 37 percent of the world’s population.

The report places the current world population at 7.3 billion, and projects it will increase to 9.7 billion by 2050 and exceed 11 billion by the year 2100.

The U.S. Census Bureau currently pegs the American population at over 321 million.

The African nation of Nigeria, which is currently the seventh-largest country in the world, “is growing the most rapidly,” according to the UN, and its population is projected to surpass that of the United States by 2050 to become the world’s third-largest.

Africa has the highest current rate of population growth of any continent and is expected to account for more than half of the world’s population growth between 2015 and 2050.

“Most of the projected increase in the world’s population can be attributed to a short list of high-fertility countries—mainly in Africa—or countries with already large populations,” the UNsaid in a press release describing the report.

“Understanding the demographic changes that are likely to unfold over the coming years, as well as the challenges and opportunities that they present for achieving sustainable development, is key to the design and implementation of the new development agenda,” Wu Hongbo, UN Undersecretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, said in a press release.

Global aging is also examined in the report. The number of people aged 60 and over should more than double by 2050, it said. The report projects Europe will lead the way in that category, with more than 34 percent of people there expected to be over 60 years old by 2050.

“The concentration of population growth in the poorest countries presents its own set of challenges, making it more difficult to eradicate poverty and inequality, to combat hunger and malnutrition, and to expand educational enrollment and health systems, all of which are crucial to the success of the new sustainable development agenda,” said John Wilmoth, Director of the UN’s Population Division.

US: Millennials now outnumber Boomers, Census Bureau says

(USAToday.com) - It's finally happened: Millennials are taking over the Union.

Millennials, or those born from 1982 through 2000, now make up more than one quarter of the U.S. population (83.1 million), exceeding the 75.4 million Baby Boomers who were born from 1946 through 1964, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released Thursday.

They're also more diverse than any generation before them – 44.2% of American Millennials are part of a minority race or ethnic group, according to the estimates.

In fact, the whole U.S. population is more racially and ethnically diverse. A total of 37.9% of Americans identified as minorities in 2014, up from 32.9% in 2004.

Another milestone: In 2014, those younger than 5 years old "became majority-minority for the first time, with 50.2% being part of a minority race or ethnic group," according to the estimates.

"Majority-minority" refers to when less than half of a population are non-Hispanic, single-race Whites.

The U.S. as a whole is expected to become majority-minority by 2044, according to another report from the Census Bureau.

"These latest population estimates examine changes among groups by age, sex, race and Hispanic origin nationally, as well as in all states and counties, between April 1, 2010, and July 1, 2014," the report said.

Integration Failing in America

(thetrumpet.com) 4/10/15 - Increasing numbers of immigrants are clinging to their own culture rather than assimilating into American society.

More than 25 percent of Boston’s residents were born outside the United States.

“You can’t find a place in Boston that doesn’t have a growing immigrant population,” said Alejandra St. Guillen, director of Boston’s Office of New Bostonians.

But it isn’t just Boston. Whole communities that cannot speak English are popping up across America. Washington, D.C., and six Maryland and Virginia school districts spend $2.4 billion on sources and programs related to Limited English Proficiency (LEP). Alexandria, Virginia, devotes 45.8 percent of the school systems’ budget to LEPstudents.

A January 2015 study by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), indicates that in some metro area counties in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Colombia, 20 to 30 percent of the population is foreign born. That means approximately a quarter of the population of the nation’s capital was not born in the U.S.

And the refusal or inability of immigrants to integrate is widespread.

In March, St. Cloud Technical High School in Minnesota showed a prime example of the effects of non-integration when more than 100 Somali students walked out of classes. The walk-out was supposedly in response to a picture posted on the Internet implying a Somali student could be a terrorist. Tensions became so high that another school in the district had to be locked down for safety.

”Situations regarding race and culture are in the forefront at this moment. It’s a hot topic,” Willie Jett, superintendent of the St. Cloud school district said. “At times, can there be conflict? Definitely.”

Somali leaders say the school is racist and needs to hire more minority teachers to be able to relate to immigrant students. Former prospective St. Cloud City Council Candidate Abdul Kulane said that the Somali community needed to be involved in deciding how the school is run. He said that reports of the school district’s inability to find minority teachers is just an excuse.

It’s a truism that a house divided against itself will fall.

Census: Florida's population overtakes New York's

Florida needs to control their borders..

(USAToday) - They are the Snowbirds Who Stayed in 2014.

Florida has passed New York in population to claim the rank of the USA's No. 3 state, with almost 20 million residents, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday.

California remains the most populous state, followed by Texas.

Growing strongly again after the housing market's collapse and the Great Recession, Florida added about 800 people a day in the past year — many of them New Yorkers, and many of whom, as former seasonal visitors, were affectionately called "snowbirds." Earlier Census data showed that the Sunshine State is gaining about 25,000 more New Yorkers than it loses to New York each year.

The new state estimates, pegged to July 1, also show that North Carolina surged ahead of Michigan as No. 9 and North Dakota passed Alaska for 47th place.

Scores arrested as Ferguson, MO protests spread to other U.S. cities

THE JEWS!

(Reuters) - Police arrested scores of people in cities around the United States who were protesting a Missouri grand jury's decision not to indict a white police officer for killing an unarmed black teenager, authorities said on Wednesday, but the town where the shooting took place was a little calmer.

Protests in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and elsewhere came on a second night of street violence in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, Missouri, where policeman Darren Wilson shot to death 18-year-old Michael Brown on Aug. 9. The shooting has highlighted the often-tense nature of U.S. race relations and the strains between black communities and police.

There was less violence on the streets of Ferguson than on the previous night, as the deployment of some 2,000 National Guard troops to the area helped police prevent the rioting, looting and arson that erupted on Monday night.

Not again! Judge rules against democracy, says homosexuals have right to marry in Kentucky

Since when did marriage become a "right" in the US?

Via USAToday:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Same-sex couples have a right to marry in Kentucky, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

In February, District Judge John G. Heyburn II had ruled that Kentucky must recognize gay marriages performed in other states.

"In America, even sincere and long-held religious beliefs do not trump the constitutional rights of those who happen to have been out-voted," Heyburn wrote to invalidate Kentucky's constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.

In Tuesday's ruling in favor of two Louisville couples, Heyburn rejected the only justification that lawyers for Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear had offered — that traditional marriages contribute to a stable birth rate and the state's long-term economic stability.

"These arguments are not those of serious people," he said.

Full Story.

Canada Drops Out Of 10 Most Developed Countries List.

(cbc.ca) - Canada has slipped out of the top 10 countries listed in the annual United Nation's human development index — a far cry from the 1990s when it held the first place for most of the decade.

The 2013 report, which reviews a country's performance in health, education and income, places Canada in 11th place versus 10th last year.

A closer look at the trends shows Canada actually did better than last year, but other countries such as Japan and Australia improved at a greater rate.

When the numbers are adjusted for gender inequality, Canada slumps to 18th place. The United States fares even worse -- sinking from third to 42nd place.

Full Story.

Toronto Now 4th Largest City In North America.

Interesting Random Fact For You All. . .

- Toronto, Canada is now the fourth largest city in North America, according to the City of Toronto’s latest Economic Dashboard report.

According to Statistics Canada, The City of Toronto’s total population is now estimated at 2,791,140.

Toronto is now the fourth largest municipality in North America after Mexico City, New York and Los Angeles.

Hispanics To Surpass 'White' Population In California.

(Politico) State demographers say California’s Hispanic population will equal that of whites within six months and exceed it early next year — a milestone in the country’s racial and ethnic shifts.

Population projections released Thursday by the state Department of Finance show that Hispanics will become the dominant ethnic group in California for the first time.

By 2020, demographers say Hispanics will be about 41 percent of California’s population, with whites less than 37 percent.

Read More.

'Anti-Racism' Rally Held In Athens After Immigrant Stabbing.

Multiculturalism In Action.

- Hundreds of demonstrators on Saturday (1/19) paraded the coffin in central Athens of a Pakistani immigrant who was stabbed to death earlier this week, praying and opening the casket to show his face in protest at racist attacks in the country.

About 5,000 immigrants and human rights activists later gathered in the city's central Omonia square, police said, to demonstrate against racism, holding banners reading "Neo-Nazis out" and "Punishment for the fascist murderers of Shehzad Luqman".

US birthrate plummets to lowest in 25 years as poor economy puts would-be parents off having children.

(London Daily Mail) - The U.S. birth rate has plummeted to its lowest point in 25 years as would-be parents postpone having babies due to the poor economy.

The average number of births per woman has fallen 12 per cent from a peak of 2.12 in 2007, when the economy began to falter.

Now the rate is predicted to hit just 1.87 this year and 1.86 next year, the lowest since 1987, according to birthrate forecasters Demographic Intelligence.

Full Story