New Mexico expected to have fewer births, fewer students By CEDAR ATTANASIOMay 1, 2021 GMT SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico researchers warned on Thursday that there may be fewer people in the state in the coming decade, with a drop in births that will continue to reduce school enrollment. The implications of an aging and shrinking population are vast. Businesses may struggle to find workers in some sectors. State agencies may have to emphasize the need for eldercare services and programs for seniors such as Medicare that will only grow more important. The change is already affecting school enrollment. Even in metropolitan areas like Santa Fe, Albuquerque and Las Cruces, where population growth had continued, school districts have seen modest declines in school enrollment in recent years.