And health related news the U.S.

fertility rate has dropped to an all time low, according to new CDC data.

Researchers say this downward trend has been going on for nearly 20 years and some more, and it could lead to population decline.

Our Christine spoke with the director of the Kentucky State Data Center to find out how the lower birth rate could impact Kentucky's future.

Matthew Ruther joins us from the Kentucky State Data Center.

Okay, we're talking about the fertility rate, the U.S.

fertility rate is now down to 1.6.

That means, theoretically 1.6 children per woman.

How does Kentucky compare to that?

So Kentucky's slightly higher than the than the national average.

It's about 1.8.

The Kentucky State Data Center breaks it down county by county.

What are the differences you see per county?

Fertility is higher in suburban counties.

So you see like higher fertility.

And in Orange County, Bullitt County, Boone County, outside of Cincinnati.

Much lower fertility in cities, very low fertility in university towns.

So, like Madison County has one of the lowest birth rates in Kentucky, the university and then very high fertility in Christian County with the military base there.

Okay.

So what are the implications of this declining fertility rate, which is happening worldwide, nationwide and even in Kentucky?

So there's a lot of debate about this, about what it means.

Economically speaking, people worry about the size of the labor force.

So you have fewer, fewer, fewer workers, fewer spenders.

You know, our economy is driven by consumption.

So this is this is what people are thinking about when they think, population decline.

You also have higher, higher old age dependency ratio.

So you have an older population being supported by a younger worker population.

This puts pressure on systems like Social Security and pension systems and things like health care systems, educational systems.

These are all really very population based.

So for example, in eastern Kentucky, as the population declines, health care systems are struggling.

One of the silver linings of these new findings is that the teen birth rate nationally has gone down.

And in Kentucky it has to rise.

How have we compared Kentucky tracks the US very similarly.

It's just it's just higher.

So our birth rate has declined.

Our teen birth rate is declined by about almost 70% from the mid 2000, from 2007 2008.

Which is a very big policy success because this is something we were attempting to do.

Okay, wonderful.

And have you seen any policies or anything that, has been successful in slowing the decline of fertility or or not really.

Not really.

And this is a really big topic among among demographers.

It's likely and research sort of bears this out that that what would be effective are very high level structural changes as in, as in free child care.

Something that makes, that makes having a child not be not had would not give you the potential for financial ruin.

I mean, having a child is very expensive.

Well, Matthew, from the Kentucky State Data Center, thank you so much for your time and expertise.

Absolutely.