America's fertility rates just hit an all-time low. Researchers don't know why.

A pregnant woman.
(Image credit: iStockphoto)

The U.S. fertility rate fell to a record low in 2017, the National Center for Health Statistics reported Thursday, down 3 percent from the year before.

Fertility rates declined sharply after the Great Recession that began in 2008, but researchers are surprised that the rate hasn't bounced back since the economy recovered. Last year there were just 60.2 births per 1,000 women of childbearing age. The drop from 2016 to 2017 constitutes the largest single-year decline since the recession.

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Summer Meza, The Week US

Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.