A Pew Research Center study revealed that 2010 was the lowest birth rate year ever recorded since 1920 in the U.S.

According to the report, Mexican immigrant women led the way with the biggest decrease with 23%, followed by foreign born women with 14% , and finally U.S. born women decreased only by only 6%, which the total birth rate between women ages 15-44 declined by 8%.

Between 2002 and 2007 the study indicates that there was a rise in births in the U.S., but for some reason after 2007 the numbers in births began to decrease again, which there aren't any studies available to show any direct correlation between these figures, or any other official reports of other possible determining factors.

For Latino women some possible explanations for the large birth decrease could be, due to the fact that this ethnic group now has more access to various types of contraception, and also Latinos had the largest amount of decrease in wealth, and increase in unemployment and poverty as well.

Latino Unemployment Rates by Age Group

It might be safe to say that the economic factor is what has contributed to the birth decrease rate in all of the ethnic groups, since how "well off" you are these days determines other areas of daily life like where you can afford to live, eat, drive, buy, and even study at in order to develop more skills to either get a better position or a better job.

Although the birth decrease rate is lower in Latino immigrant women, the study is still projecting that Latinos will account for about 82% of the population growth in the U.S. by 2050, and even if the birth rate continues to drop in the future, the outcome will still be the same with total population growth of Latinos.

Omar.Martinez@sandiegored.com