The graph illustrates the number of babies born in the United States from 1995 to 2025. The x-axis represents the years, labeled from '95 to '25, while the y-axis shows the annual number of births. Over this 30-year period, birth numbers peaked at 4,316,233 in 2007 and reached a low of 3,596,017 in 2023. The data reveals relatively stable birth rates from 1995 to 2010, with slight fluctuations, followed by a gradual decline starting around 2017. The information is presented in a line graph format, effectively highlighting the long-term downward trend in U.S. birth numbers over the specified timeframe.

This collection provides information on live births in the United States during calendar year 1995. The natality data in these files are a component of the vital statistics collection effort implemented by the federal government. Geographic variables describing residence for births include the state, county, city, county and city population, standard metropolitan statistical area (SMSA), and metropolitan/nonmetropolitan county. Other variables specify the race and sex of the child, the age of the mother, place of delivery, person in attendance, and live-birth order. The natality tabulations in the documentation include live births by age of mother, live-birth order, and race of child, live births by marital status of mother, age of mother, and race of child, and live births by attendant and place of delivery. (Source: downloaded from ICPSR 7/13/10)

Please Note: This dataset is part of the historical CISER Data Archive Collection and is also available at ICPSR at https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR03387.v1. We highly recommend using the ICPSR version as they may make this dataset available in multiple data formats in the future.

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 3.67 million babies born in 2022. 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 chart and dataset showing U.S. birth rate by year from 1950 to 2025.

This dataset includes crude birth rates and general fertility rates in the United States since 1909. The number of states in the reporting area differ historically. In 1915 (when the birth registration area was established), 10 states and the District of Columbia reported births; by 1933, 48 states and the District of Columbia were reporting births, with the last two states, Alaska and Hawaii, added to the registration area in 1959 and 1960, when these regions gained statehood. Reporting area information is detailed in references 1 and 2 below. Trend lines for 1909–1958 are based on live births adjusted for under-registration; beginning with 1959, trend lines are based on registered live births. SOURCES NCHS, National Vital Statistics System, birth data (see https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/births.htm); public-use data files (see https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data_access/VitalStatsOnline.htm); and CDC WONDER (see http://wonder.cdc.gov/). REFERENCES National Office of Vital Statistics. Vital Statistics of the United States, 1950, Volume I. 1954. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsus/vsus_1950_1.pdf. Hetzel AM. U.S. vital statistics system: major activities and developments, 1950-95. National Center for Health Statistics. 1997. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/misc/usvss.pdf. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Statistics of the United States, 1967, Volume I–Natality. 1969. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsus/nat67_1.pdf. Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Osterman MJK, et al. Births: Final data for 2015. National vital statistics reports; vol 66 no 1. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2017. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr66/nvsr66_01.pdf. Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Osterman MJK, Driscoll AK, Drake P. Births: Final data for 2016. National Vital Statistics Reports; vol 67 no 1. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2018. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_01.pdf. Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Osterman MJK, Driscoll AK, Births: Final data for 2018. National vital statistics reports; vol 68 no 13. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2019. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_13.pdf.

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.

This data collection consists of six data files, which can be used to determine infant mortality rates in the United States in 1995. For the first time, data for Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam were included. Another change in 1995 is a change in format of the linked files. They are now released in two different formats, period data and birth cohort data. This collection represents the period data. Parts 1 and 2 are the Denominator files for the United States and for Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam, respectively. These files consist of all births in 1995. Variables in these files include year of birth, state and county of birth, characteristics of the infant (age, sex, race, birth weight, gestation), characteristics of the mother (Hispanic origin, race, age, education, marital status, state of birth), characteristics of the father (Hispanic origin, race, age, education), pregnancy items (prenatal care, live births), and medical data. A new variable in the Denominator files for 1995 is clinical estimate of gestation. Parts 3 and 4 are the Numerator files. They provide records of all infant deaths that occurred in 1995 linked to their corresponding birth certificates, whether the birth occurred in 1995 or 1994. Variables in these files include age at death, underlying cause of death, autopsy, place of accident, infant death identification number, exact age at death, day of birth and death, and month of birth and death. New variables in the linked Numerator files for 1995 include a weight and a clinical estimate of gestation. Parts 5 and 6 are the "unlinked" files. They consist of infant death records that could not be linked to their corresponding birth records.

This CD-ROM contains the 1995 Natality Detail public use data files and documentation for the U.S. and Territories. Data are limited to births occurring within the United States to U.S. residents and nonresidents. Births to nonresidents of the U.S. are excluded from all tabulations by place of residence. Births occurring to U.S. citizens outside the U.S. are not included in this file. Natality data for Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and Guam are limited to births occurring within the respective territories. Natality data for these territories are included as a separate data file. Items include geographic variables for occurrence of birth and residence of parents, prenatal care, demographic variables for the child and parents, pregnancy history, and other delivery, medical, and health information. The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) has removed direct identifiers and characteristics that might lead to identification of data subjects. Note to Users: This CD is part of a collection located in the Data Archive at the Odum Institute for Research in Social Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The collection is located in Room 10, Manning Hall. Users may check out the CDs, subscribing to the honor system. Items may be checked out for a period of two weeks. Loan forms are located adjacent to the collection.

Abstract

Registration of vital events commenced in 1867 with the enactment of civil registration laws which conferred the legal sanction for the registration of events namely, live births, deaths, still births and marriages. According to the law every live birth has to be registered within 42 days from the date of occurrence.

Although birth and death registrations are compulsory by law, few events are missed and not registered for various reasons.

By the survey conducted in 1980, to assess the completeness of birth and death registrations, it was found that about 98.8 per cent of births and 94.0 per cent of deaths are being registered at any given time.

Births are registered at the place of occurrence and not in the area of residence of the mother.

Geographic coverage

National coverage.

Analysis unit

Individual Birth

Universe

Records pertaining to Live births of Sri Lankan Nationals whose birth occurs in Sri Lanka

Kind of data

Administrative records data [adm]

Mode of data collection

Other [oth]

In 2022, there were around 5.61 infant deaths in the U.S. per 1,000 live births. The postneonatal mortality rate that year was 2.02 per 1,000 live births. Leading causes of infant mortality in the U.S. include congenital malformations, disorders related to short gestation and low birth weight, maternal complications, and sudden infant death syndrome.

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.

description:

Access to a variety of United States birth and death files including fetal deaths: Birth Files, 1968-2009; 1995-2005; Fetal death file, 1982-2005; Mortality files, 1968-2009; Cohort-Linked birth/infant death files, 1983-1991; and Period-Linked birth/infant death files, 1995-2007

Access to a variety of United States birth and death files including fetal deaths: Birth Files, 1968-2009; 1995-2005; Fetal death file, 1982-2005; Mortality files, 1968-2009; Cohort-Linked birth/infant death files, 1983-1991; and Period-Linked birth/infant death files, 1995-2007

World birth rate for 2025 is 17.13, a 0.95% decline from 2024.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>World birth rate for 2024 was <strong>17.30</strong>, a <strong>5.9% increase</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>World birth rate for 2023 was <strong>16.33</strong>, a <strong>1.34% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>World birth rate for 2022 was <strong>16.56</strong>, a <strong>1.7% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
</ul>Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.

The Births (Natality) online databases in CDC WONDER report birth rates, fertility rates and counts of live births occurring within the United States to U.S. residents and non-residents. Counts can be obtained by state, county, child's sex and weight, mother's race, mother's age, mother's education, gestation period, prenatal care, birth plurality, and mother's medical and tobacco use risk factors. The data are derived from birth certificates. Data are available since 1995. The data are produced by the National Center for Health Statistics.

In 2023, the birth rate among teenagers and young adult women aged 15 to 19 stood at 13.1 births per every thousand women. This statistic shows the U.S. birth rate among teenagers and young adult women, aged 15-19 years, between 1991 and 2023. Teenage pregnancy and birth Teenage pregnancy and births are related to a number of negative outcomes. Babies born to teenage mothers are more likely to be premature and have a low birth weight, and teen mothers often experience gestational hypertension and anemia. Additionally, there are significant adverse effects on socioeconomic and educational outcomes for teenage parents. Teenage pregnancy is usually unplanned and due to the negative consequences mentioned above the ratio of legal abortions to live births in the United States is highest among teenagers. In 2022, there were 374 legal abortions per 1,000 live births among girls and young women aged 15 to 19 years, compared a ratio of 284 legal abortions per 1,000 live births among women aged 20 to 24 years. Contraceptive use among teens Contraceptive use is the best way for sexually active teenagers to avoid unwanted pregnancies, but use and accessibility remain problems in the United States. In 2021, only 23 percent of high school girls in the U.S. used the birth control pill to prevent pregnancy before their last sexual intercourse. Use of the birth control pill to prevent pregnancy is highest among white teenagers and lowest among Black teenagers, with only 11 percent of Black teenagers reporting use in 2021. Condom use is more common among high school students, but still only around half of sexually active students reported using a condom during their last sexual intercourse in 2021.

Number and percentage of live births, by month of birth, 1991 to most recent year.

This dataset contains counts of live births for California as a whole based on information entered on birth certificates. Final counts are derived from static data and include out of state births to California residents, whereas provisional counts are derived from incomplete and dynamic data. Provisional counts are based on the records available when the data was retrieved and may not represent all births that occurred during the time period.

The final data tables include both births that occurred in California regardless of the place of residence (by occurrence) and births to California residents (by residence), whereas the provisional data table only includes births that occurred in California regardless of the place of residence (by occurrence). The data are reported as totals, as well as stratified by parent giving birth's age, parent giving birth's race-ethnicity, and birth place type. See temporal coverage for more information on which strata are available for which years.

United States Birth Rate: 10 to 14: White data was reported at 0.100 % in 2023. This stayed constant from the previous number of 0.100 % for 2022. United States Birth Rate: 10 to 14: White data is updated yearly, averaging 0.500 % from Dec 1985 (Median) to 2023, with 39 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.800 % in 1995 and a record low of 0.100 % in 2023. United States Birth Rate: 10 to 14: 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.

In 2022, the infant mortality rate in the United States was 5.4 out of every 1,000 live births. This is a significant decrease from 1960, when infant mortality was at around 26 deaths out of every 1,000 live births. What is infant mortality? The infant mortality rate is the number of deaths of babies under the age of one per 1,000 live births. There are many causes for infant mortality, which include birth defects, low birth weight, pregnancy complications, and sudden infant death syndrome. In order to decrease the high rates of infant mortality, there needs to be an increase in education and medicine so babies and mothers can receive the proper treatment needed. Maternal mortality is also related to infant mortality. If mothers can attend more prenatal visits and have more access to healthcare facilities, maternal mortality can decrease, and babies have a better chance of surviving in their first year. Worldwide infant mortality rates Infant mortality rates vary worldwide; however, some areas are more affected than others. Afghanistan suffered from the highest infant mortality rate in 2024, and the following 19 countries all came from Africa, with the exception of Pakistan. On the other hand, Slovenia had the lowest infant mortality rate that year. High infant mortality rates can be attributed to lack of sanitation, technological advancements, and proper natal care. In the United States, Massachusetts had the lowest infant mortality rate, while Mississippi had the highest in 2022. Overall, the number of neonatal and post neonatal deaths in the United States has been steadily decreasing since 1995.

In 2023, there were around 5.61 infant deaths in the U.S. per 1,000 live births. The postneonatal mortality rate that year was 1.96 per 1,000 live births. Leading causes of infant mortality in the U.S. include congenital malformations, disorders related to short gestation and low birth weight, maternal complications, and sudden infant death syndrome.