Why Is the Birth Rate Rising In the UK But Falling In the US?

It makes sense that during periods of economic uncertainty, couples hold back plans to have children and the birth rate falls. Earlier this month it was reported that for the first time in a decade, the number of U.S. births had begun to decline nationwide. Sociologists and research groups are pointing to the recession as a major factor in birth rate dips, naturally. So why is the birth rate in the UK booming?

Newly released numbers from Britain's Office for National Statistics show that the UK experienced its greatest population increase in almost 50 years in 2008. It's easy to point a finger at immigration, but the UK's population actually shot up despite a dip in immigration from Eastern European countries.

So Britain's remarkable population growth is, indeed, the result of a baby boom. A baby boom that no one really anticipated -- The Guardian reported earlier this year that Britons were "shelving their dreams" of marrying and starting families, unraveling anecdotes in which British couples delayed weddings or decided they weren't prepared to commit to having children. Historical precedent shows the birth rate declining during past recessions: During the Great Depression, the UK's birth rate fell by 10 percent of what it had been in the 1920's.

There's little that can be offered as explanation for why, during a severe global recession, Britain's citizens are having more babies than ever. As the Guardian suggests, perhaps Tony Blair's exit from office got people jumping into bed. Or perhaps Britain has been impacted more gradually by recession than the US, and future birth rate statistics will more accurately reflect recession conditions. The numbers could simply be a few steps behind. "Babies, like corporate earnings, are a lagging indicator," Slate's Daniel Gross said. After all, they're produced nine months before they arrive in the marketplace."