In the United States, the crude birth rate in 1800 was 48.3 live births per thousand people, meaning that 4.8 percent of the population had been born in that year. Between 1815 and 1825 the crude birth rate jumped from 46.5 to 54.7 (possibly due to Florida becoming a part of the US, but this is unclear), but from this point until the Second World War the crude birth rate dropped gradually, reaching 19.2 in 1935. Through the 1940s, 50s and 60s the US experienced it's baby boom, and the birth rate reached 24.1 in 1955, before dropping again until 1980. From the 1980s until today the birth rate's decline has slowed, and is expected to reach twelve in 2020, meaning that just over 1 percent of the population will be born in 2020.

Over the past 30 years, the birth rate in the United States has been steadily declining, and in 2023, there were 10.7 births per 1,000 of the population. In 1990, this figure stood at 16.7 births per 1,000 of the population. Demographics have an impact The average birth rate in the U.S. may be falling, but when broken down along ethnic and economic lines, a different picture is painted: Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander women saw the highest birth rate in 2022 among all ethnicities, and Asian women and white women both saw the lowest birth rate. Additionally, the higher the family income, the lower the birth rate; families making between 15,000 and 24,999 U.S. dollars annually had the highest birth rate of any income bracket in the States. Life expectancy at birth In addition to the declining birth rate in the U.S., the total life expectancy at birth has also reached its lowest value recently. Studies have shown that the life expectancy of both men and women in the United States has been declining over the last few years. Declines in life expectancy, like declines in birth rates, may indicate that there are social and economic factors negatively influencing the overall population health and well-being of the country.

Graph and download economic data for Fertility Rate, Total for the United States (SPDYNTFRTINUSA) from 1960 to 2023 about fertility, rate, and USA.

Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in United States was reported at 10.7 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United States - Birth rate, crude - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

Historical dataset showing U.S. birth rate by year from 1950 to 2025.

Hong Kong: The number of crude births per 1000 people, per year: The latest value from 2023 is 4.4 births per 1000 people, unchanged from 4.4 births per 1000 people in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 17.86 births per 1000 people, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for Hong Kong from 1960 to 2023 is 14.49 births per 1000 people. The minimum value, 4.4 births per 1000 people, was reached in 2022 while the maximum of 36.27 births per 1000 people was recorded in 1960.

Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in World was reported at 16.33 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. World - Birth rate, crude - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

This scatter chart displays fertility rate (births per woman) against birth rate (per 1,000 people) in Europe. The data is about countries.

Niger had the highest birth rate in the world in 2024, with a birth rate of 46.6 births per 1,000 inhabitants. Angola, Benin, Mali, and Uganda followed. Except for Afghanistan, all 20 countries with the highest birth rates in the world were located in Sub-Saharan Africa. High infant mortality The reasons behind the high birth rates in many Sub-Saharan African countries are manyfold, but a major reason is that infant mortality remains high on the continent, despite decreasing steadily over the past decades, resulting in high birth rates to counter death rates. Moreover, many nations in Sub-Saharan Africa are highly reliant on small-scale farming, meaning that more hands are of importance. Additionally, polygamy is not uncommon in the region, and having many children is often seen as a symbol of status. Fastest-growing populations As the high fertility rates coincide with decreasing death rates, countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have the highest population growth rates in the world. As a result, Africa's population is forecast to increase from 1.4 billion in 2022 to over 3.9 billion by 2100.

This scatter chart displays fertility rate (births per woman) against birth rate (per 1,000 people) in Guyana. The data is about countries per year.

Fertility rate, total (births per woman) in United States was reported at 1.6165 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United States - Fertility rate, total (births per woman) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

This scatter chart displays fertility rate (births per woman) against birth rate (per 1,000 people) in the United States. The data is about countries per year.

Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in European Union was reported at 8.1624 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. European Union - Birth rate, crude - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

While the standard image of the nuclear family with two parents and 2.5 children has persisted in the American imagination, the number of births in the U.S. has steadily been decreasing since 1990, with about 3.6 million babies born in 2023. In 1990, this figure was 4.16 million. Birth and replacement rates A country’s birth rate is defined as the number of live births per 1,000 inhabitants, and it is this particularly important number that has been decreasing over the past few decades. The declining birth rate is not solely an American problem, with EU member states showing comparable rates to the U.S. Additionally, each country has what is called a “replacement rate.” The replacement rate is the rate of fertility needed to keep a population stable when compared with the death rate. In the U.S., the fertility rate needed to keep the population stable is around 2.1 children per woman, but this figure was at 1.67 in 2022. Falling birth rates Currently, there is much discussion as to what exactly is causing the birth rate to decrease in the United States. There seem to be several factors in play, including longer life expectancies, financial concerns (such as the economic crisis of 2008), and an increased focus on careers, all of which are causing people to wait longer to start a family. How international governments will handle falling populations remains to be seen, but what is clear is that the declining birth rate is a multifaceted problem without an easy solution.

Historical dataset showing North America birth rate by year from 1950 to 2025.

United States - Crude Birth Rate for Low Income Countries was 34.33420 Births per 1,000 People in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Crude Birth Rate for Low Income Countries reached a record high of 47.81158 in January of 1957 and a record low of 34.33420 in January of 2023. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Crude Birth Rate for Low Income Countries - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on October of 2025.

United States Birth Rate: White data was reported at 9.300 % in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 9.500 % for 2022. United States Birth Rate: White data is updated yearly, averaging 13.700 % from Dec 1985 (Median) to 2023, with 39 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 15.800 % in 1990 and a record low of 9.300 % in 2023. United States Birth Rate: White data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.G008: Birth Rate.

Historical dataset showing China birth rate by year from 1950 to 2025.

The fertility rate of a country is the average number of children that women from that country will have throughout their reproductive years. In the United States in 1800, the average woman of childbearing age would have seven children over the course of their lifetime. As factors such as technology, hygiene, medicine and education improved, women were having fewer children than before, reaching just two children per woman in 1940. This changed quite dramatically in the aftermath of the Second World War, rising sharply to over 3.5 children per woman in 1960 (children born between 1946 and 1964 are nowadays known as the 'Baby Boomer' generation, and they make up roughly twenty percent of todays US population). Due to the end of the baby boom and increased access to contraception, fertility reached it's lowest point in the US in 1980, where it was just 1.77. It did however rise to over two children per woman between 1995 and 2010, although it is expected to drop again by 2020, to just 1.78.

Bangladesh: The number of crude births per 1000 people, per year: The latest value from 2023 is 20.35 births per 1000 people, a decline from 20.58 births per 1000 people in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 17.86 births per 1000 people, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for Bangladesh from 1960 to 2023 is 34.82 births per 1000 people. The minimum value, 19.99 births per 1000 people, was reached in 2017 while the maximum of 49.13 births per 1000 people was recorded in 1961.