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    The Reasons Why Wyoming Has the 2nd Lowest Amount of Births per State in the USA

    In the United States, birth rates have been declining for some time, and some demographers believe that this trend indicates the country’s economic health. But what if other factors are at play, as well? The numbers, which are based on Census data, show the total number of live births in the U.S. for every 1000 women of childbearing age, and they offer a bird’s eye view of America’s population growth. While birth rates are down nationwide, the trend varies from state to state. 

    Possible Causes Of The Low Birth Rates

    According to research, almost all developed nations are experiencing some form of declining birth rates, with some possible causes being:

    • Social structure: With more women entering the workforce, it stands to reason that families are finding less opportunity to build and maintain a typical family structure.
    • Religious beliefs: Religious beliefs may very well be the most influential factor in increasing family size, but more and more people are becoming secular and ignoring the childbearing sections of religious texts.
    • Economic prosperity: The more prosperous a nation becomes, the less likely it will have children. This is due to the difficulties of raising children while in employment.
    • Urbanization: As more people move into cities, there is less need for so many children for economic support than in rural areas.

    Wyoming’s Worrying Trend

    The outlier in all of this is the state of Wyoming. It is a less wealthy, more rural, and religious state which should indicate an upward trend in infertility, but this doesn’t seem to be the case. The study below by Australian comparison company Compare the Market shows it has the second-lowest of all states. Furthermore, it appears to have been in decline for the past five years, perhaps due to increased family planning and a massive reduction of teen pregnancy, which has traditionally been a factor of high birth rates in this state.

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    What Are The Consequences of Declining Birth Rates?

    Wyoming has an increasingly aging population, which is only exacerbating with its decreasing birth rate year on year. Furthermore, the state has experienced consecutive years of a declining population, which is cause for concern. If this trend becomes irreversible, the consequences will be profound. A low birth rate results in a distorted population pyramid, which results in:

    • Fewer workers to care for the elderly population.
    • Fewer tax receipts from the low working population.
    • Increased immigration to make up for the labor shortfall.
    • Fewer consumers, resulting in a declining consumer market.

    Many factors contribute to the birth rate in a country. One of the most important ones is the fertility rate. The fertility rate is the number of children that a woman will have in her entire lifetime, say during the age of 25-34. Typically, a country’s fertility rate is seen as an indicator of the population’s overall health.

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