Women in Idaho – and the rest of the nation – are waiting longer to marry and have children, resulting in fewer babies, more time for education and more single parents than in past generations.
Demographic trends affect consumer spending, household economics, work-family balance and the long-term growth and composition of the labor force. Below are some of the trends for births and marriages in Idaho and the rest of the United States.
Recession exacerbates long-term decline in birth rates
The number of babies born in the United States remained flat in 2012, the first time in five years it did not significantly decline. From 2007 to 2011, the fertility rate – the number of babies born per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 – fell 9 percent to a record low 63.2. The biggest declines in births came from two groups deeply hurt by the recession – Hispanics and people in their 20s. Idaho experienced an even sharper decline in births but saw a turnaround sooner than the nation. After falling 15 percent from 83.4 in 2007 to 72.31 in 2011, Idaho’s fertility rate rose 1 percent to 72.8 in 2012.