A dramatic decline in the teen birth rate should encourage those who worry about young people producing kids before they’ve even finished high school. New numbers from the National Center for Health Statistics show teen births peaking in 1957, but declining ever since – and now affecting young girls only one fourth as often as they once did. This radical improvement has especially impacted black and Hispanic youngsters – with Hispanic teenage births reduced 50% in just five years.

Two factors drive this positive trend: young people are less likely to have sex as teenagers, and those who do are more likely to use contraception. Contrary to liberal propaganda, abortion has not been a major factor – abortion rates are way down in the last ten years, at the same time fewer teenagers gave birth.

Amid so much gloom about our present and our future, this bit of good news deserves more public recognition.