The overall birthrate in the US is declining, but that drop is steepest among white people, thought to be the fault of the weaker economy.

мой перевод - общая рождаемость в сша падает,но это лишь маленькая капля среди белолицых людей, которая может стать ошибкой для более слабой экономики )))

только строго не судите! :)

вот буду весьма благодарна, если кто-нибудь объяснит с точки зрения грамматики.
И еще - почему нет определенного артикля перед превосходной степенью THE STEEPEST. Контекст взят из новостей BBC.

перевод неверный.
drop - зд. падение

белолицых людей - лучше просто бледнолицых :)))

The US census bureau recorded that just over two million babies were born to ethnic and racial minorities in the year to July 2011, making up just over half of new arrivals. In 1990, just 37% of births were from racial minorities. It means for the first time non-Hispanic white babies being born in the US are in the minority.

Analysts have pointed to several factors which could account for the shift. The overall birth-rate in the US is declining, but that drop is steepest among white people, thought to be the fault of the weaker economy. The economic slow-down could also account for fewer Hispanics entering the United States from abroad.