Feb. 16, 2017 file photo from Associated Press.

Michigan recorded 111,507 births in 2017 -- a 1.6 percent drop from 2016 and the lowest number of births since 1941.

In fact, when looking at the number of births per 1,000 residents, 2017 marked Michigan's lowest birth rate since the state started calculating that statistic in 1900.

The number of Michigan births has been trending down since 1990, when 153,080 babies were born during the "echo baby" as Baby Boomers were having children.

There are several factors behind the declining number of births:

Michigan's aging population means there are fewer women in the 20s and 30s, the prime child-bearing years.

The number of births has sharply declined among women under age 25.

More women are remaining childless.

The decline in births is worrisome in terms of state population growth, which is now dependent on immigration as births fall below the replacement level.

It's hard to grow the state economy if the population shrinks. Moreover, from an economic standpoint, a pipeline of young people are needed to replace workers who are retiring and to pay the taxes necessary to support an aging population.

But the 2017 birth statistics do contain some positive news: Teen births are at a record low, and today's mothers are more likely to be older and better-educated than mothers in past decades.

And while the percentage of babies born to unmarried women remains high -- about 41 percent in 2017 -- that percentage is trending down slightly.

Below is a closer look at the trends, starting with an online database that allows you to look up the numbers for any county.

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While Michigan births go down, deaths go up

The chart below compares the number of births and deaths in Michigan going back to 1900.

Michigan births peaked at 208,488 in 1957. The 2017 number is the lowest since 1941 when 107,498 babies were born. But realize, the state had about 5.3 million residents in 1940 compared to almost 10 million now.

The 97,532 deaths in 2017 set a record, a result of an aging population as Baby Boomers near the end of their lives.

Here's one take on the the two trendlines in the chart below: In 1990, Michigan had almost twice as many births than deaths (153,080 vs. 78,501). In 2017, the ratio was 1.15 births for every death.

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Source: Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

Comparing birth and death rates

The chart below corrects for population changes over time by looking at the number of births vs. deaths per 1,000 residents.

Based on population size, the death rate peaked in 1918 at 15.6 per 1,000 residents during the 1918 influenza pandemic. By comparison, the death rate was 9.8 in 2017.

Meanwhile, the 2017 birth rate was 11.2 births per 1,000 residents, the lowest rate going back to 1900. The rate peaked at 27.4 in 1956.

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Michigan reflects national trend

Michigan's declining birth rate is part of a nationwide trend. The nationwide birth rate was 11.8, and the raw number of U.S. births was the lowest since 1987.

Vermont had the lowest birth rate in 2017, 9 births per 1,000 residents, while Utah had the highest, a rate of 15.7.

The federal Centers for Disease Control now estimates that U.S. women give birth to an average of 1.8 children over their lifetime. The population replacement rate is 2.1 births per woman.

Below is the 2017 birth rate by state.

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Source: Centers for Disease Control

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Birth rate by county

The map below shows the 2017 birth rate by county.

Kent County, home of Grand Rapids, had the highest birth rate at 13.4 births per 1,000 residents. Ontonagon, home of the Porcupine Mountains in the Upper Peninsula, had the lowest birth rate, 5.3.

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Source: Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

% change by county between 2000 and 2017

The next map looks at the increase or decrease in the numbers of births between 2000 and 2017.

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Only four counties saw an increase during that time: Clinton in the metro Lansing area; Monroe, in the southeast corner; Missaukee, in the northern Lower Peninsula, and Iron County in the Upper Peninsula.

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Michigan women are waiting longer to give birth

Clearly, one reason the number of births is declining is because women are waiting longer to become mothers. Nationally, the average age for a first-time mother is now 26.

In Michigan, teen births have dropped 73 percent since 1990 and births to women age 20 to 24 are down 43 percent.

The chart below shows the breakdown of births by age group in 1990 compared to 2017.

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Source: Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

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Average age of first-time mothers by county

This next map looks at the average age of first-time mothers by county in 2016, based on a study commissioned by the New York Times.

In Michigan, Washtenaw County had the highest average, 28.2, while Schoolcraft in the Upper Peninsula had the lowest average age, 22.

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% of births to unmarried women inching down

About 43 percent of Michigan women giving birth in 2015 were unmarried compared to 41 percent in 2017.

That's directly tied to the drop in births among young women. Consider that 75 percent women under age 25 who give birth are unmarried, so fewer births in that age group tends to lower the number of single mothers.

Between 2015 and 2017, the number of births dropped by 1,704 newborns. During that same time period, there were 3,439 fewer births by unmarried women under age 25.

The map below shows the percentage of 2017 births to unmarried women by county. Baraga County in the Upper Peninsula had the highest percentage of births to unmarried women, 67 percent. Livingston County had the lowest percentage, 21 percent.

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Incidentally, the Census data on fertility offers some interesting nuances about unmarried mothers.

In its annual American Community Survey, the Census looks at women who have given birth in the previous 12 months. Its 2017 survey results show that 64 percent of Michigan women who gave birth in the previous year are married. That suggests a significant number of women who were unmarried when they give birth do get married before the child's first birthday. The Census also indicates that about half of the new mothers who stay single are living with an unmarried partner.

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31% who gave birth in 2017 had a college degree

About 31 percent of Michigan women who gave birth in 2017 had at least a bachelor's degree, while 11 percent lacked a high school diploma.

In 1990, 16 percent of Michigan newborns had mothers who were college graduates and 20 percent were high school dropouts.

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Educational attainment of new mothers by county

The map shows educational attainment of women who gave birth in 2017 by county.

Washtenaw County has the highest percentage of new mothers with a college degree -- 57 percent in 2017. Clare has the lowest percentage -- 7 percent.

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Source: Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

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Non-Hispanic whites are a shrinking share of newborns

In 2017, 69 percent of Michigan babies were born to white, non-Hispanic mothers. That compares to 77 percent in 1990.

The share of African-American babies also is shrinking. But the proportion of other babies of color -- Hispanic, Asian or Mideastern ancestry, or mixed-race -- is now 12 percent of the total compared to 2 percent in 1990.

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