The birth rate in the U.S. declined in 2025, according to a report released in April by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The data showed a 1% decline in the birth rate to 53.1 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44. The national rate of births has declined almost every year for the past two decades.Factors contributing to lower fertility rates in the U.S. include lower rates of teen pregnancy, women getting married later and more women earning college degrees, according to Pew Research Center. The U.S. isn’t alone in the trend, either. Fertility rates have declined in all world regions since 1950, according to Pew. Fertility rates, as opposed to birth rates, measure the average number of children a woman would have in her lifetime.The decline over the past year can be attributed to birth rates trending down for women ages 15 to 29. The birth rates for women between 30 and 44 went up, but not enough to offset the overall decline.Women in younger age groups have seen declines over the past couple of decades. The largest decline has been for the ages 15 to 19. In 2007, the birth rate was 41.5 births per 1,000 women. Last year, it was down to 11.7.The downward trend in pregnancy for teenagers could be seen even further back. The birth rate among teenagers was 60 births per 1,000 in 1990 and dropped to 48 in 2000, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Birth rates for other younger age groups have declined, while rates for women 35 and older have gone up.The birth rate for women ages 30 to 34 has remained relatively flat, but it went up in 2025 despite national trends. The 25 to 29 age group previously had the highest birth rate but was surpassed by the 30 to 34 age group in 2016. How births contribute to population growthThe number of births is one component of population growth. Other factors are the number of deaths and the net immigration. Positive natural increase, which is when the number of births outnumbers deaths, is a large factor in population. That, mixed with positive net immigration, leads to population growth in the U.S. New data from the U.S. Census Bureau published earlier this year showed that population growth in the U.S. had slowed by half as a result of a decline in immigration, even though there were still more births than deaths.How birth rates have changed in each stateBirth rate by state, 2024The birth rate for every state is the number of births per 1,000 women between 15 and 44 years old.South Dakota – 66.7Nebraska – 62.9Alaska – 60.8North Dakota – 60.4Kentucky – 60.3Utah – 59.9Texas – 59.3Indiana – 59.1Arkansas – 58.8Iowa – 58.8Idaho – 58.6Tennessee – 58.5Oklahoma – 58.4Kansas – 58.3Louisiana – 58.2Mississippi – 57.4Alabama – 57.3Hawaii – 56.6Missouri – 55.9North Carolina – 55.8New Jersey – 55.7Ohio – 55.6South Carolina – 55.5Minnesota – 55.2Wyoming – 54.8Georgia – 54.7West Virginia – 54.3Virginia – 53.7Delaware – 53.7Maryland – 53.3Montana – 53.3Arizona – 53.2Wisconsin – 52.8Florida – 52.2New York – 52.1New Mexico – 51.9Colorado – 51.6Michigan – 51.5Washington – 51.3Pennsylvania – 51.2Nevada – 50.1California – 49.8Illinois – 49.7Connecticut – 48.9Massachusetts – 46.8Maine – 46.3Oregon – 46.1New Hampshire – 45.9Rhode Island – 45.0Vermont – 41.7District of Columbia – 39.8 PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=
The birth rate in the U.S. declined in 2025, according to a report released in April by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The data showed a 1% decline in the birth rate to 53.1 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44. The national rate of births has declined almost every year for the past two decades.
Factors contributing to lower fertility rates in the U.S. include lower rates of teen pregnancy, women getting married later and more women earning college degrees, according to Pew Research Center.
The U.S. isn’t alone in the trend, either. Fertility rates have declined in all world regions since 1950, according to Pew. Fertility rates, as opposed to birth rates, measure the average number of children a woman would have in her lifetime.
The decline over the past year can be attributed to birth rates trending down for women ages 15 to 29. The birth rates for women between 30 and 44 went up, but not enough to offset the overall decline.
Women in younger age groups have seen declines over the past couple of decades. The largest decline has been for the ages 15 to 19. In 2007, the birth rate was 41.5 births per 1,000 women. Last year, it was down to 11.7.
The downward trend in pregnancy for teenagers could be seen even further back. The birth rate among teenagers was 60 births per 1,000 in 1990 and dropped to 48 in 2000, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Birth rates for other younger age groups have declined, while rates for women 35 and older have gone up.
The birth rate for women ages 30 to 34 has remained relatively flat, but it went up in 2025 despite national trends. The 25 to 29 age group previously had the highest birth rate but was surpassed by the 30 to 34 age group in 2016.
How births contribute to population growth
The number of births is one component of population growth. Other factors are the number of deaths and the net immigration.
Positive natural increase, which is when the number of births outnumbers deaths, is a large factor in population. That, mixed with positive net immigration, leads to population growth in the U.S.
New data from the U.S. Census Bureau published earlier this year showed that population growth in the U.S. had slowed by half as a result of a decline in immigration, even though there were still more births than deaths.
How birth rates have changed in each state
Birth rate by state, 2024
The birth rate for every state is the number of births per 1,000 women between 15 and 44 years old.
- South Dakota – 66.7
- Nebraska – 62.9
- Alaska – 60.8
- North Dakota – 60.4
- Kentucky – 60.3
- Utah – 59.9
- Texas – 59.3
- Indiana – 59.1
- Arkansas – 58.8
- Iowa – 58.8
- Idaho – 58.6
- Tennessee – 58.5
- Oklahoma – 58.4
- Kansas – 58.3
- Louisiana – 58.2
- Mississippi – 57.4
- Alabama – 57.3
- Hawaii – 56.6
- Missouri – 55.9
- North Carolina – 55.8
- New Jersey – 55.7
- Ohio – 55.6
- South Carolina – 55.5
- Minnesota – 55.2
- Wyoming – 54.8
- Georgia – 54.7
- West Virginia – 54.3
- Virginia – 53.7
- Delaware – 53.7
- Maryland – 53.3
- Montana – 53.3
- Arizona – 53.2
- Wisconsin – 52.8
- Florida – 52.2
- New York – 52.1
- New Mexico – 51.9
- Colorado – 51.6
- Michigan – 51.5
- Washington – 51.3
- Pennsylvania – 51.2
- Nevada – 50.1
- California – 49.8
- Illinois – 49.7
- Connecticut – 48.9
- Massachusetts – 46.8
- Maine – 46.3
- Oregon – 46.1
- New Hampshire – 45.9
- Rhode Island – 45.0
- Vermont – 41.7
- District of Columbia – 39.8
