NationStates Jolt Archive

Tis the season of miracles, births and infants…

~ childbearing within marriage declined, births to married women declined from 4 million in 1960 to 2.7 million in 1994, and the birth rate for married women fell from 157 per 1,000 in 1960 to 83 per 1,000 in 1994.

Increases in births to unmarried women are among the many changes in American society that have affected family structure and the economic security of children. Children of unmarried mothers are at higher risk of having adverse birth outcomes, such as low birthweight and infant mortality, and are more likely to live in poverty than children of married mothers. And with that in mind...

~ Birth rates for unmarried teenagers have dropped considerably since 1994, while increases in rates for women in their twenties and older have also slowed. :)

~ The birth rate for adolescents continues to decline in 2003 to 22 births per 1,000 females ages 15–17, representing the lowest rate ever recorded. :) (too bad it's likely because of abortion though :( )

~ Pooled data from 1996 and 2001 show that 2 percent of all females ages 15–17 who lived with their married biological parents became unmarried mothers by age 17–19, compared with 9 percent of those who lived with a single parent, and 27 percent of those who did not live with either parent. (Among Black, non-Hispanic girls ages 15–17 who lived with both biological married parents, 6 percent became unmarried mothers by ages 17–19, compared with 13 percent of those who lived with a single parent, and 25 percent of those who did not live with either parent. Among Hispanic girls ages 15–17 who lived with both biological married parents, 5 percent became unmarried mothers by ages 17–19, compared with 18 percent of those who lived with a single parent, and 42 percent of those who did not live with either parent. [what’s this saying, Hispanic girls without Fathers ‘put out?’ :confused: ])

~ In 2002 the infant mortality rate for infants born to married mothers was 5 per 1,000 live births :) , compared with 10 per 1,000 live births for infants born to unmarried mothers :( .

~ In 2004, 77 percent of White-alone, non-Hispanic children lived with two married parents, compared with 65 :( percent of Hispanic children and 35 :eek: percent of Black-alone children.

~ Among the 2.9 million children (4 percent of all children) not living with either parent in 2001, about half (48 percent or 1.4 million) lived with grandparents, 33 percent lived with other relatives, and 17 percent lived with non-relatives. Of the children in non-relatives’ homes, only about half of them (260,000) lived with foster parents (0.134% of all children).

~ Since the mid-1960s, children have been decreasing as a proportion of the total U.S. population. In 2003, children made up 25 percent of the population, down from a peak of 36 percent at the end of the “baby boom” (1964).

~ Together, children and senior citizens make up the “dependent population” (people who, because of their age, are less likely to be employed than others). In 1950, children made up 79 percent of the dependent population; by 2003, they made up 67 percent. This percentage is expected to decrease to 60 percent in 2020. (Good that we are living longer :) , bad that there won't be enough working people to support the old people :( )



http://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/pop.asp
http://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/pop6.asp
http://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/pop7.asp
http://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/spe4c-f.asp

interesting statistics.

did you have a reason for posting them?

Tis the season of thinking about babies :D Who's been good and who's been bad, who's getting gifts and who's getting coal.

Some of these stats don't make sense.

Among Black, non-Hispanic girls ages 15–17 who lived with both biological married parents, 6 percent became unmarried mothers by ages 17–19

How is that 15-17 year old girls are 17-19 by the end of the sentence?

Tis the season of thinking about babies :D Who's been good and who's been bad, who's getting gifts and who's getting coal.

I generally avoid thinking about babies. Come to think about it, I avoid babies as such.

*snip*

What do you know, more evidence that people are better off if the people raising them are permitted to marry versus prevented from marrying. Mind if I link to this for evidence that gay marriage will protect children? Thanks in advance.

Some of these stats don't make sense.



How is that 15-17 year old girls are 17-19 by the end of the sentence?
what that means is, that if you look at girls who are 15-17 years old (and who are presumbably not mothers arleady), in the next 2 years 6% will have become mothers.

what that means is...

Thanks, that's absolutely right. I'm running low on time for quick responses :D

I've noticed that the overall rate of women who are unmarried having children has not really changed for fifteen years. Sounds like the past fifteen years and more specifically the initiatives to increase rights for all people regarding adoption and marriage that have been more successful over that period have not had the adverse effect that on families that so many have claimed.

In fact, the number of teenage births has decreased in that time period. Seems like we're headed in the right direction.

Now I wonder how much the statistic of unmarried mothers would decrease if we didn't prevent some people from married based on religious objections.

~ Birth rates for unmarried teenagers have dropped considerably since 1994, while increases in rates for women in their twenties and older have also slowed.
...why not just say 'birth rates have dropped'?
:p

Just a note on some of the other statistics that are in graphic form -

The number of families who have pregnant teenagers is significantly lower among families where a single parent has married a step-parent. The stability of the family is enhanced by a single parent marrying a non-parent and the result is less chance of the children becoming teenage mothers.

It is also true that situations where a single parent is allowed to marry a non-parent the 80% likely to have a child in good to excellent health versus about 75% for an unmarried parent.

Also the number of 15-17 year olds who are enrolled in school is slightly higher when a single parent is permitted to marry a non-parent.

...why not just say 'birth rates have dropped'?
:p
Because they haven't. The birth rates hold fairly steady overall, but the increase in parents older than 20 having children out of wedlock is not increasing as quickly as before 1994. During that same period the decrease in teenage mothers has equaled the growth in other populations (that used to cause an increase in overall unmarried mothers) causing the overall rate of births to unwed mothers to remain fairly steady.

Because they haven't. The birth rates hold fairly steady overall, but the increase in parents older than 20 having children out of wedlock is not increasing as quickly as before 1994. During that same period the decrease in teenage mothers has equaled the growth in other populations (that used to cause an increase in overall unmarried mothers) causing the overall rate of births to unwed mothers to remain fairly steady.
I don't know much about the birth rates in other countries, but as far as I know in Switzerland there has been a steady decrease in birthrates for a while now.
Of course, it always depends on how far back you compare them to.

I'd also like to point out that while we are spreading gloom and doom about the birth rates outside marriage it appears that overall people are teaching their children to be more responsible.

The birth rate for adolescents continued to decline in 2003 to 22 births per 1,000 females ages 15–17, representing the lowest rate ever recorded.

I want to highlight this point.

Now, someone claimed it was due to abortion, but I would like to see the figures that show the number of abortions for females ages 15-17 has increased steadily since 1990, since that is approximately the time we began to see the steady decline of teenage motherhood.

I don't know much about the birth rates in other countries, but as far as I know in Switzerland there has been a steady decrease in birthrates for a while now.
Of course, it always depends on how far back you compare them to.

No shocker really, as we move away from an agrarian society that the size of families and thus the number of children would decrease. Parents simply don't need to have a dozen children anymore, particularly not to make up for the high mortality rates.

~ The birth rate for adolescents continues to decline in 2003 to 22 births per 1,000 females ages 15–17, representing the lowest rate ever recorded. :) (too bad it's likely because of abortion though :( )

Sorry to inject a little fact, but here's the statistics. Teenage abortion rates have steadily decreased since even before the birth rate of teenagers began to increase. Kind of shoots your theory in the foot, no?

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_21/sr21_056.pdf

Take a look at page 12. You'll see a chart that demonstrates the marked decrease in abortion rates among teenagers since about 1988. You'll also see that the trends in their pregnancy rate almost exactly coincides with the trends in their birth rate.

Don't you hate it when that happens?

Note: you'll also find that abortion rates among all populations fell steadily during the same time frame. Seems like the decrease in birth rate cannot be blamed on abortion at all. Overall pregnancy rates among teenagers is decreasing and this is a GREAT sign.

Sorry to inject a little fact, but here's the statistics. Teenage abortion rates have steadily decreased since even before the birth rate of teenagers began to increase. Kind of shoots your theory in the foot, no?

Ummm, no. The paper you linked to says that (figure 10 page 12) a third of all pregnancies in the age group we are talking about 15-17 and 18-20 are aborted. A third is a third. It has an affect on the total number of live births, obviously. My previous statement still stands...

Don't you hate it when that happens?

Hate it when what happens? When you post nonsensical yappery and claim victory over your own strawman? Nah, I don't hate it, I'm used to it, happens all the time.