The ongoing baby bust appears to be a trend occurring among lower-income women rather than their higher-income counterparts. Overall, the percentage of women aged 15 to 50 who had a baby in the past year fell from 5.6 percent in 2006 (just before the Great Recession) to 5.3 percent in 2014, according to the American Community Survey. The number of births fell from 4.3 million to just under 4 million during those years. But the decline in childbearing occurred almost entirely among women with household incomes below $50,000. Among women with household incomes of $75,000 or more, childbearing was stable or higher.
Percent of women who had a baby in past 12 months by household income, 2014 (and 2006)
Under $25,000: 6.4% (down from 7.3%)
$25,000 to $49,999: 5.7% (down from 6.0%)
$50,000 to $74,999: 5.3% (down from 5.4%)
$75,000 to $99,999: 4.9% (up from 4.8%)
$100,000 or more: 4.5% (no change)
Source: Census Bureau, Fertility of Women in the United States: 2014
No comments:
Post a Comment