US birthrate hits all-time low due to weak economy

*During the recession, the birthrate dropped after a high in 2007

*The recession has been officially over for four years

*The birthrate hit an all-time low in 2011 and stayed there in 2012

*Economic uncertainty coupled with a general trend towards fewer births means there may not be a bounce-back in birthrate

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.

'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. Read more >>