Baby boom


Number of births in the United States, 1934 to present

A baby boom is any one period of greatly increased birth rate during a certain period, and usually within certain geographical bounds and when the birth rate exceeds 2% of the population. People born during such a period are sometimes called baby boomers, but note the difference between a demographic boom in births and the cultural generations born during such a birth boom. Some contest the general conventional wisdom that baby booms signify good times and periods of general economic growth, and stability.[citation needed]

The term "baby boom" most often refers to the dramatic post-World War II baby boom (notice the rate of change on the chart below). There are an estimated 77.3 million Americans who were born during this demographic boom in births.[1] The term is a general demographic one and is also applicable to other similar population expansions.

Recent baby boom periods include:

  • In the 1991 book Generations, William Strauss and Neil Howe defined the birth years as 1943 to 1960.[2]

References

  1. ^ Baby Boom Population – U.S. Census Bureau – USA and by State (1 July 2008). Retrieved on 2009-05-18.
  2. ^ Strauss, William & Howe, Neil. Generations: The History of America's Future, 1584 to 2069. Perennial, 1992 (Reprint). ISBN 0-688-11912-3 p. 324
  3. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/health/19birth.html NYT - ’07 U.S. Births Break Baby Boom Record

See also

External links








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