The U.S. fertility rate has dropped to an all-time low, according to new CDC data. Researchers say it's not a blip. It's a generation of women choosing to wait, or not have children at all.
Since 2007, the number of Americans having babies has dropped 23%, meaning not enough children are being born to replace older workers or those who die.
If this trend continues, or unless immigration levels change, the nation will have 8 million fewer residents by 2055.
But there are nuances to these numbers. There was a 7% drop in teen pregnancies last year, which many experts say is a good thing.
For more on what this means for current and future generations, @WmBrangham spoke with NPR’s @BrianMannADK, who has been reporting on a long-running investigative series about global population trends.
