birthrate

noun

Etymology: From birth + rate.

1. The ratio of total live births to total population for a specific community or nation in a specified period; often expressed in births per thousand per year.

   “In higher education a similar transformation is being pulled forward: Colleges were expecting a grim landscape in the later 2020s, because 2010s birthrates were so low, but now a decline in foreign enrollment and an acceleration of online learning will threaten marginal state schools and possibly close small liberal-arts colleges much sooner.”

   “In 2023, the birthrate fell for the eighth consecutive year to 0.72, the lowest in the world, from 1.24 in 2015, raising concerns over the economic shock to society from such a rapid pace.”