The reason that there was a boom of babies in the mid 40's through 60's is because unemployment was nearly gone and there was economic growth until the 1970's. This meant that the time was ripe to be able to support a child, so many people did. The GI Bill also facilitated births. The bill made it very easy for WWII veterans to buy a home and go to college because they got low or no interest rates on loans. If you can buy your own house, many thought it was time to start a family. Also when men came home from war, women were able to stop working and have time to look after a child or two or four. When economic and social pressures are suddenly lifted like this and things are back to normal, people want to take advantage of the easy times and start a family. This same thing happened it 2007. There was a spike in births because the economy was very well-off and people were buying homes like crazy, so they decided to start a family.
The baby boom had a big effect on the economy, as one might imagine. The spike in population meant an increase in suburban houses being built, a labor boom, a spending boom, more roads being built, more cars, food, diapers, etc. So why did the baby boom end? It is assumed that people did not have as many babied because of the invention of the birth control pill in the early 60's. Now baby boomers are in their 50's and 60's and some say that their retirement might cause a market crash but that is another topic. Thanks for reading!
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