Speech #850045211

By 1933. the birthrate in the United States had dropped from more than 30 per 1.000 population at the turn of the century to a low of 18 per 1.000. Even though the rate has now recovered from the 1933 low. births are only 25 per 1.000 population and are not expected to increase appreciably. Also. by the 1930s immigration had ceased to be an important factor in adding to the young population. While the lower birth rate and restrictive immigration legislation greatly reduced our basic sources of young people. another development occurred that had even greater effect on the changing age distribution of the population. The marked declines in mortality in the United States since the turn of the century greatly increased our chances of survival at all ages. and in recent decades especially significant gains have been made in reducing deaths among the aged. Thus. with greater proportions of our people living longer and with a declining proportion of young people. the average age in the United States has gradually increased.