U.S. Birth Rate Hits Lowest Point in Recorded History

Fifty years after the baby boom, America has hit a baby slump. According to a natality report by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released on August 9, the birth rate in the United States has dipped lower than ever before in recorded history, The Week reports.

The CDC attributes this trend to the fact that many people are waiting longer to tie the knot and start families. And while this is undoubtedly bad news for people eager to become grandparents, the lower fertility rate is good news for teens: The CDC found that teen pregnancy numbers are down.

In his story for The Week, Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry adds that the record low birth rate could also be bad news for the economy: When there are not enough young people to financially support the older population, the nation as a whole ends up stuck with the bill (something it can't always afford). 

But what's harmful to the economy could benefit the Earth, The Atlantic points out: There are too many people—who need space to live and food to eat—for the world to sustain.

[h/t The Week]

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