North Carolina Replaces Utah With Highest Birth Rate in Nation, March 1, 1921

Raleigh—North Carolina now leads the entire United States with the highest birth rate in the Union, according to statistics for 1920 just compiled by the state Board of Health. At the same time this state has one of the lowest death rates.

Reports during the past year show a total of 83,966 births in the state, a rate of 32.8 per thousand. These figures do not include the stillbirths which amounted to 4,171 for the year.

During 1920 every six minutes a new life was born into the world; every 15 minutes another life was snapped off. That the births increase in the population of the state during the last decade as shown by the last census figures, for the state has had little increase by reason of immigration.

North Carolina has been exceeded in birth rate heretofore only by Utah, which in 1918 had a rate of 31.9. The rate for the entire registration area of the country the same year was 24.4. For the same year the death rate for the same area was 18.2

From the front page of The Enterprise, Williamston, N.C., March 1, 1921