Following quote extracted from full Breitbart article:
"ATLANTA (AP) - Bucking the trend in many other wealthy industrialized nations, the United States seems to be experiencing a baby boomlet, reporting the largest number of children born in 45 years.
The nearly 4.3 million births in 2006 were mostly due to a bigger population, especially a growing number of Hispanics. That group accounted for nearly one-quarter of all U.S. births. But non-Hispanic white women and other racial and ethnic groups were having more babies, too.
An Associated Press review of birth numbers dating to 1909 found the total number of U.S. births was the highest since 1961, near the end of the baby boom. An examination of global data also shows that the United States has a higher fertility rate than every country in continental Europe, as well as Australia, Canada and Japan. Fertility levels in those countries have been lower than the U.S. rate for several years, although some are on the rise, most notably in France."
The CDC report is here. And the population Reference Bureau (didn't even know we had one of those!) is here.What's with the low birth rate in Italy in particular? The full article points out that there isn't particularly a correlation between government-handouts-per-baby and a high birth rate. I know the population is pretty dense there, but what's holding the Italians back especially?
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6 comments:
The more babies the better!
I was thinking of you when I put up the post! You're certainly pulling your load!!! Salute!
Karen
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God bless
Phil
We're trying hard too, though we've a long way to go before we catch up with The Parkes!
I read a book by Tim Parks about Italy (I forget its title) before we first went there (than was for our honeymoon, so 1999). Parks proposed that because Italians absolutely dote on their children (seems true from the amount of attention ours receive from Italian parishioners) they feel they 'can't' have more than one child because they couldn't 'afford' (time or money) to give to a second in the same way. If it's true, it's sad. Our children maybe don't have everything but they do have the love of their siblings. Come on Italians - Europe must be peopled!!
I am working on it. I plan on populating the country with little trad Catholics as long as I am still able. Babies are the coolest!
Hi La Mamma!
Glad to have you back in the bloggosphere. The Italian thing in particular is curious to me, because over here the people I know who come from Italian families are VERY child oriented. Nothing seems to light up an Italian's face more than the sight of "i bambini" playing, getting underfoot, etc. So this "sea change" is most fascinating to me (not in a good way!) I happen to be an only myself. By nature, not design, but this 1.5 thing is very low, not even close to replenishing themselves. It's been a long time since I've been in Italy, briefly in 90, (and twice before that in 73 and 78) but it's astonishing the attitude change so relatively quickly.
And Pew! Keep at it! I know you've had an awfully tough year this year, and I do keep you in my prayers.
Karen
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