Birth rates are close to a historic low: See charts
As global birth rates continue to decline, the Trump administration has announced that it is considering policies aimed at reversing this trajectory for the United States. According to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, births rose 1% in 2024 to 3.6 million — and while births increased slightly from 2023 numbers, they are still close to a historic low.
Here's a closer look at the data:
The number of births declined by an average of 2% per year between 2015 and 2020. Birth rates have fluctuated through 2024, the CDC reported. Other data from the study focuses on fertility rate, or the number of live births per woman at reproductive age (15 through 44). Globally, the rate is 2.25 births per woman − that is one child per woman less than three decades prior in 1990. In the United States, the fertility rate is 1.62 births per woman.
The current fertility rate in America is less than the replacement rate of 2.1 − the number of children each woman needs to birth in order to prevent a decline in the U.S. population.
The fertility rate in the United States was in constant decline between 2014 and 2020 and has fluctuated since.
In 2024, fertility rates in the United States varied by the race of the mother. Here's how the rates changed between 2023 and 2024:
- 4% decrease for Black women
- 3% decline for American Indian and Alaska Native women
- 2% increase for Hispanic women
- 3% increase for Asian women
- The fertility rate remained unchanged for White women, as well as Native Hawaiian women and other Pacific Islander women
Women are delaying parenthood
Over the past few decades, and especially since the great recession of 2008, economic factors and societal expectations have led more people to conclude it's normal to have kids in your 30s, according to Allison Gemmill, a professor of family and reproductive health at Johns Hopkins University, previously interviewed by Paste BN.
The birth rate decreased for women ages 20 to 24 decreased between 2023 and 2024, as well as for teenagers ages 15 to 19.
The birth rate for women ages 40-44 increased 2% between 2023 and 2024, according to the CDC.
How have preterm births changed in the U.S.?
About 10.4% of infants were born preterm in 2024 - the same rate as the previous year.
How do birth rates compare globally?
According to United Nations world population data, the average global birth rate is 16.52 births per 1,000 people. The United States is among the developed countries with the highest birth rate. Greenland has the highest at 14.1 births per 1,000 people, while Saint Pierre and Miquelon has the lowest at 5.2 births per 1,000 people.
Among all 236 countries, the Central African Republic has the highest rate in the world at 45.35 births per 1,000 people and the Vatican City has the lowest at 4.21 births per 1,000 people.
The importance of birth rate and fertility rate
Brady Hamilton, a National Center of Health Statistics birth statistician, previously told Paste BN that the birth rate is an important statistic - it allows government agencies and companies to prepare for the future. It also helps the NCHS see how people are coming into society if a certain age group is having fewer children and what measures need to be taken to address problems with the rates.
Knowing birth and fertility rates provides a clearer picture of a place's demographics, such as the size of age-based generations, the sustainability of welfare programs for retirees through income taxes, and changes in the population of a race in a certain town, county, state or the nation, Hamilton added.
In the private sector, Hamilton said that keeping tabs on birth rates is necessary for companies that manufacture baby products such as baby food, formula and toys because it helps them avoid shortages.
Contributing: Krystal Nurse