LATINO PREGNANCIES ARE DECLINING
By Chaille Steed, Brand Planner
What’s happening
US Latinas are choosing to have fewer children, causing birthrates to plummet among immigrant and native-born women between 2007 and 2010. Mexican American and Mexican immigrants are shaping these trends — contributing to a 25.7% drop, according to data from the Pew Research Center (Latino.FoxNews.com, 2 January 2013).
Between 1990 and 2010, the birth rate among US-born Latinas dropped from 82.4% to 65.4%, and foreign-born Latinas had a 30% drop (NBCLatino.com, 29 November 2012).
2010 was the year with the lowest rate of Latino births in two decades. Why the drop? The report cited the recession, changing attitudes toward having larger families, increased interest in seeking higher education and greater access to information about birth control. Also, a slowdown in immigration from Mexico may have contributed to these numbers. Despite this, Latinos still have the highest fertility rates overall.
What this means to business
Latinos were particularly hit hard in the recession. A tough economy and a lack of jobs have forced Latinos to reassess their priorities. With the size of family directly linked to their pocketbooks, Latinos are choosing to improve and establish their lives first and think about babies later.
Source: Iconoculture, Pew Research Center, Latino Fox News, NBC Latino
