Jan 11, 2020

California sees drop in youth population, Texas sees a jump

Photo: Stephen Simpson/Getty Images

California's youth population dropped by more than 400,000 throughout the past 10 years to 8.9 million young people, attributed, in part, to a drop in immigrant inflows and the state’s lowest birth rate in history, Bloomberg reports, citing the latest Census data.

The big picture: The youth slump is a trend across the U.S., where 30 states noted a dip in the under-18 age group between 2010 and 2019, newly released data shows.

Meanwhile: At the other end of the spectrum, Texas's youth population rose from 6.9 million in 2010 to 7.4 million as of 2019.

The state has one of the highest birth rates in the country, and "strong in-migration from places like California and New York and rising immigration from Asia," per Bloomberg.

Why it matters: Changing demographics can impact a state's political leaning and economy, especially as the federal government prepares for the 2020 Census. California has never lost a House seat, but could this November given the population shifts, per Bloomberg.

Go deeper: Census data projects shift in states' congressional power

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Marisa Fernandez

China's birth rate hits six-decade low

The square of Beijing railway station. Photo: Zhang Peng/LightRocket via Getty Images

China's birth rate is the lowest since 1961, with 14.6 million babies born in 2019, signaling struggles for families in a country with an underdeveloped social safety net, the National Bureau of Statistics said Friday, per AP.

The big picture: It's the country's third year in a row for falling birth rates, with factors like more financial freedom for women entering the workforce and Chinese couples' changing attitudes toward children with rising living costs, the New York Times reports.

Go deeperJan 17, 2020

Stef W. Kight

The demographic shifts disrupting the political world

Photo Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photos: Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images, Banaras Khan/AFP via Getty Images, and Alfredo Estrella/AFP via Getty Images

America's identity is nearing a tipping point as demographics change, which helps explain why so many 2020 presidential candidates are testing the conventional wisdom about who can win elections.

The big picture: The irony is that the biggest changes haven't been reflected in the kinds of candidates leading the 2020 polls — most of whom are white, rich men. But they could have a big impact on the final outcome.

Go deeperFeb 2, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Axios

The 2020 census begins tomorrow on the edge of America

Map: AP

The first Americans to be counted in the 2020 census, which begins tomorrow, live in Toksook Bay, Alaska — a community of 661 on the edge of the American expanse, AP reports.

Catch up quick: The decennial U.S. census has started in rural Alaska, out of tradition and necessity, ever since the U.S. purchased the territory from Russia in 1867.

Go deeperJan 20, 2020