Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'The Drop Is Simply Stunning': Higher Deaths Combined With Fewer Births Undercut U.S. Population Growth
The New York Times: Fewer Births, More Deaths Result In Lowest U.S. Growth Rate In Generations
The population of the United States grew at its slowest pace in more than eight decades, the Census Bureau said Wednesday, as the number of deaths increased and the number of births declined. Not since 1937, when the country was in the grips of the Great Depression and birthrates were down substantially, has it grown so slowly, with just a 0.62 percent gain between July 2017 and July 2018. With Americans getting older, fewer babies are being born and more people are dying, demographers said. (Tavernise, 12/19)
The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Population Grew At Slowest Pace In More Than 80 Years
The numbers, which cover the year ended July 1, show the country’s population rose by 0.6% to 327.2 million people. That was the lowest rate since 1937 in data going back to 1901, according to William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution. The figures offer fresh clues to which states are likely to gain or lose congressional seats after the 2020 census. If the House of Representatives were apportioned based on this year’s data, Texas would gain two seats, while Arizona, Colorado, Florida, North Carolina and Oregon would each gain one. (Adamy and Overberg, 12/19)
Politico: Population Boom Could Remake 2020 Map
A handful of presidential battleground states experienced a population explosion over the past year, altering the landscape in at least three key states that stand to play a pivotal role in the 2020 election. Those population shifts are poised to have a tangible impact in 2020 — with demographic shifts cementing Florida’s premier swing-state status, vaulting Arizona onto the list of 2020 swing states and perhaps putting Nevada further out of reach for President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign. (Caputo, Shepard and Bland, 12/19)
