Up To 500,000 Fewer Births Predicted In 2021 Due To Pandemic
In the early days of the pandemic it was predicted that due to stay at home orders and government mandated shutdowns of businesses, the United States would see a baby boom. But, that prediction is quickly proving to be false and instead it is now being predicted that we will see far fewer births than normal in 2021.
At first, people were assuming that because couples were being forced to stay home, that they would get "romantic" and that would result in new pregnancies. This prediction is due to the the idea that there are "baby booms" after events causing people to stay home like blizzards and hurricanes.
But, the current pandemic has proven to make couples more cautious about the prospect of having children. With an increase in the uncertainty of the economy, the concern over public health, and general insecurity about the state of the world, it's no wonder that people are putting more thought into having children.
According to an article by Brookings.edu, it is now expected that we may see anywhere between 300,000 to 500,000 fewer births in 2021. That is anywhere from an 8-13% drop in fertility rates from 2019, which parallels the 1918 pandemic fertility rate drop of about 10%.