US Births Drop to Lowest Level in More than 40 Years

美国新生儿数量创40余年新低

燕山大学 刘立军 供稿

TRANSCRIPT

U.S. health officials say the nation's birth rate in 2020 fell to its lowest level in more than 40 years.

The rate fell 4 percent in 2020 to about 3.6 million babies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a new report. That is the lowest number of U.S. births since 1979.

The CDC said it was the sixth year in a row that the U.S. saw a decrease in births after the last increase in 2014. The rate has dropped an average of 2 percent per year since 2015.

The birth rate dropped for women in every major race and ethnicity, and in nearly every age group.

The CDC said the U.S. fertility rate - which measures the number of births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44 - declined by 4 percent in 2020.

U.S. births have been decreasing in younger women for many years, as many mothers started families later and had smaller families. Birth rates for women in their late 30s and in their 40s have slowly been increasing. But last year was different.

The CDC's Brady Hamilton was the lead writer of the report. He said one of the most surprising results was the decrease in births even for older mothers.

The CDC report was based on an examination of more than 99 percent of official birth records issued last year. The Associated Press found that births had fallen during the coronavirus pandemic by looking at 2020 data from 25 states.

Experts say the pandemic was one likely cause of the drop in U.S. birth rates. Fears about COVID-19 and its effects on the economy may have caused many couples to rethink having a child.

Many of the 2020 pregnancies, however, began well before the coronavirus pandemic. Hamilton said CDC researchers are working on a second report to explain the decrease.

Lorna Thorpe is the director of epidemiology at the Department of Population Health at New York University's Langone Hospital. She told Reuters that the latest birth rate drop was in keeping with the downward trend seen in recent years. But she added that the change in 2020 was also linked to "pandemic-related reductions."

Experts say the current generation in America is getting further away from having enough children to replace itself.

Many European countries have also been experiencing birth rate drops and population experts have predicted major decreases in babies born across the continent this year.

In Italy, births fell 22 percent in December 2020, nine months after the country went into Europe's first lockdown restrictions. Some large corporations, including Reckitt, Nestle and Danone, say lower birth rates also led to big sales drops in baby formula.

I'm Dan Friedell.

VOCABULARY

1. ethnicity n. the fact of belonging to a particular race 种族渊源；种族特点。例如：Many factors are important, for example class, gender, age and ethnicity. 许多因素都很重要，如阶级、性别、年龄及民族。

2. fertility n. the state of being fertile能生育性

3. epidemiology n. the scientific study of the spread and control of diseases 流行病学

4. in keeping with : 和……一致，与……协调

5. baby formula n. 婴幼儿配方奶粉

QUESTIONS

Read the statements. Then listen to the news and decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F).

1. America's birth rate in 2020 fell to its lowest level since 1979.

2. The CDC said it was the sixth year that the U.S. saw a decrease in births after the last increase in 2015.

3. Birth rates for women in their late 30s and in their 40s have slowly been increasing except 2021.

4. According to the CDC, the births had fallen during the coronavirus pandemic by looking at 2020 data from 25 states.

5. Many of the 2020 pregnancies, however, began well after the coronavirus pandemic.

6. Lorna Thorpe is the director of epidemiology at the Department of Population Health at New York University's Langone Hospital.

7. Experts say the current generation in America is getting further away from having enough children to replace itself.

8. Many European countries have also been experiencing birth rate drops this year.

9. In Italy, births fell 22 percent in December 2019.

10. Italy is the first lockdown restrictions in Europe.

11. Some large corporations say lower birth rates also led to big sales drops in real estate.

KEY

Read the statements. Then listen to the news and decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F).

(T) 1. America's birth rate in 2020 fell to its lowest level since 1979.

(F) 2. The CDC said it was the sixth year that the U.S. saw a decrease in births after the last increase in 2015. （正确表达）The CDC said it was the sixth year that the U.S. saw a decrease in births after the last increase in 2014.

(F) 3. Birth rates for women in their late 30s and in their 40s have slowly been increasing except 2021. （正确表达）Birth rates for women in their late 30s and in their 40s have slowly been increasing except 2020.

(F) 4. According to the CDC, the births had fallen during the coronavirus pandemic by looking at 2020 data from 25 states. （正确表达）According to The Associated Press, the births had fallen during the coronavirus pandemic by looking at 2020 data from 25 states.

(F) 5. Many of the 2020 pregnancies, however, began well after the coronavirus pandemic.（正确表达）Many of the 2020 pregnancies, however, began well before the coronavirus pandemic.

(T) 6. Lorna Thorpe is the director of epidemiology at the Department of Population Health at New York University's Langone Hospital.

(T) 7. Experts say the current generation in America is getting further away from having enough children to replace itself.

(T) 8. Many European countries have also been experiencing birth rate drops this year.

(F) 9. In Italy, births fell 22 percent in December 2019. （正确表达）In Italy, births fell 22 percent in December 2020.

(T) 10. Italy is the first lockdown restrictions in Europe.

(F) 11. Some large corporations say lower birth rates also led to big sales drops in real estate. （正确表达）Some large corporations say lower birth rates also led to big sales drops in baby formula.

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