U.S. Fertility Rate Falls to All-Time Low
April 9, 2026
The Daily Beast
thebaikers / Getty ImagesFewer American babies were born last year than at any time since records began. Overall, the number of births per 1,000 women of childbearing age fell to 53.1, from 53.8 in 2024. The fertility rate in the U.S. has been dropping since 2007, and fell by an average of 2 percent each year between 2015 and 2020. The CDC report, released Thursday, said, “The provisional number of births for the United States in 2025 was 3,606,400, a decrease of 1 percent from the number in 2024.
The provisional general fertility rate for the United States in 2025 was 53.1 births per 1,000 females ages 15–44.” The teen pregnancy rate declined by 7 percent, resulting in a 72 percent drop since 2007. According to The New York Times, demographers have noted that the drop suggests women are having children later in life, with more control over childbirth. Demographers told the Times that women are having children later on in life, noting an increase in fertility rates among women in both their 30s and their 40s. Read it at The New York TimesRead more at The Daily Beast.
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