The recession has been over for four years, but the birth rate in the U.S. continues to fall as many people struggle with a sluggish economy and financial uncertainty.

According to a recent analysis by the Pew Institute, since 2007 when there were a record 4,316,233 births, the number of births has been steadily declining, with 4,007,000 births in 2012 – the lowest number since 1998.

Analysts say that the birthrate is dictated by the economy.
Baby bust: The U.S. national birthrate hit an all-time low in 2011 and didn’t pick up in 2012

Baby bust: The U.S. national birthrate hit an all-time low in 2011 and didn’t pick up in 2012

‘When times are up, births go up,’ D’Vora Cohn, a senior writer at Pew Research Center, told Today. ‘When times are bad, births go down.’

Despite the recession being officially over for four years, the weak recovery and economic uncertainty has resulted in the national birthrate hitting an all-time low in 2011, and staying there in 2012.

There were 63.2 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44 in 2012, according to the Center for Disease Control, down from 69.3 births per 1,000 women in that age bracket in 2007.

The connection between the economy […]