New data collected by the National Vital Statistics System and analyzed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), suggests that America is off track when it comes to population.  The numbers show that U.S. birth rates from 2017 were 16 percent below the level needed to repopulate.

According to the full report, only South Dakota and Utah residents were having babies at or above the rate necessary to replenish the current population - the rest of the country is falling behind.  Washington, D.C. had the lowest total fertility rate according to the birth certificate data collected just over a year ago, in fact - the entire country is at a 30-year low.

The report cites female labor force participation, social and economic changes and economic growth as reasons for the decline in births.  In 2017, Louisiana recorded 61,018 births, which puts us about middle of the pack - but as a country we are falling behind.  For reference, in 1957 4.7 million babies were born nationwide.  In 2017, that number was 3,853,472.

Reaction to this news is split.  Some experts say that this news is a relief in the face of overpopulation concerns, while others (like Bloomberg) say that without enough new Americans (in the form of babies and immigrants), we won't be able to support the current generation through retirement with programs like Social Security.

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