We were startled to hear broadcast over CNN that the “fertility rate” for the USA had ‘dropped’ to 63 births per thousand. That is a rate of 6.3%.
How could this be? The fertility rate has hovered around 2 children per female during her lifetime, just below the 2.1% necessary to maintain a stable population, all other factors not considered.
It turns out that the figure represents “Birth Rate”, not “Fertility Rate.”
Later in an Internet CNN / FOX article, they do refer to the real fertility rate number. It should have clued them in that the term “fertility rate” could not apply to both figures.
We obtained clarification of the difference between the two rates at “Difference Between” and reproduce the short form below.
What is the difference between Birth Rate and Fertility Rate?
• Birth rate is a parameter of the entire population, while fertility rate is a parameter of a group of individuals in the population.
• Fertility rate determines the birth rate but, not the other way around.
• Fertility rate applies for females in the reproductive age, but there is no such restriction for birth rate.
• Birth rate is expressed in relation to a time interval, while fertility rate is expressed in relation to the number of females in the reproductive age.
Occasionally Newslanc’s willingness to mislead reaches a new high. This is one of them and while I rarely watch either channel I must point out that CNN is a nationwide cable network while the “Fox” mentioned in the piece is the local Fox TV station in St. Louis and not the Fox News cable network equivalent of CNN. Rather sloppy don’t you think?
EDITOR: No.