Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women had the highest fertility rate of any ethnicity in the United States in 2022, with about 2,237.5 births per 1,000 women. The fertility rate for all ethnicities in the U.S. was 1,656.5 births per 1,000 women. What is the total fertility rate? The total fertility rate is an estimation of the number of children who would theoretically be born per 1,000 women through their childbearing years (generally considered to be between the ages of 15 and 44) according to age-specific fertility rates. The fertility rate is different from the birth rate, in that the birth rate is the number of births in relation to the population over a specific period of time. Fertility rates around the world Fertility rates around the world differ on a country-by-country basis, and more industrialized countries tend to see lower fertility rates. For example, Niger topped the list of the countries with the highest fertility rates, and Taiwan had the lowest fertility rate.

This dataset includes teen birth rates for females by age group, race, and Hispanic origin in the United States since 1960.

Data availability varies by race and ethnicity groups. All birth data by race before 1980 are based on race of the child. Since 1980, birth data by race are based on race of the mother. For race, data are available for Black and White births since 1960, and for American Indians/Alaska Native and Asian/Pacific Islander births since 1980. Data on Hispanic origin are available since 1989. Teen birth rates for specific racial and ethnic categories are also available since 1989. From 2003 through 2015, the birth data by race were based on the “bridged” race categories (5). Starting in 2016, the race categories for reporting birth data changed; the new race and Hispanic origin categories are: Non-Hispanic, Single Race White; Non-Hispanic, Single Race Black; Non-Hispanic, Single Race American Indian/Alaska Native; Non-Hispanic, Single Race Asian; and, Non-Hispanic, Single Race Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (5,6). Birth data by the prior, “bridged” race (and Hispanic origin) categories are included through 2018 for comparison.

National data on births by Hispanic origin exclude data for Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma in 1989; New Hampshire and Oklahoma in 1990; and New Hampshire in 1991 and 1992. Birth and fertility rates for the Central and South American population includes other and unknown Hispanic. Information on reporting Hispanic origin is detailed in the Technical Appendix for the 1999 public-use natality data file (see ftp://ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/Dataset_Documentation/DVS/natality/Nat1999doc.pdf).

In 2023, around 50 children were born per thousand Asian women in the United States. The highest birth rate was among Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander mothers, at 79 percent during the same year.

This dataset includes live births, birth rates, and fertility rates by race of mother in the United States since 1960.

Data availability varies by race and ethnicity groups. All birth data by race before 1980 are based on race of the child. Since 1980, birth data by race are based on race of the mother. For race, data are available for Black and White births since 1960, and for American Indians/Alaska Native and Asian/Pacific Islander births since 1980. Data on Hispanic origin are available since 1989. Teen birth rates for specific racial and ethnic categories are also available since 1989. From 2003 through 2015, the birth data by race were based on the “bridged” race categories (5). Starting in 2016, the race categories for reporting birth data changed; the new race and Hispanic origin categories are: Non-Hispanic, Single Race White; Non-Hispanic, Single Race Black; Non-Hispanic, Single Race American Indian/Alaska Native; Non-Hispanic, Single Race Asian; and, Non-Hispanic, Single Race Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (5,6). Birth data by the prior, “bridged” race (and Hispanic origin) categories are included through 2018 for comparison.

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

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

Analysis of ‘NCHS - Natality Measures for Females by Race and Hispanic Origin: United States’ provided by Analyst-2 (analyst-2.ai), based on source dataset retrieved from https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/e96cb229-a501-4633-8635-386ec77fe5a1 on 26 January 2022.

--- Dataset description provided by original source is as follows ---

This dataset includes live births, birth rates, and fertility rates by race of mother in the United States since 1960.

Data availability varies by race and ethnicity groups. All birth data by race before 1980 are based on race of the child. Since 1980, birth data by race are based on race of the mother. For race, data are available for Black and White births since 1960, and for American Indians/Alaska Native and Asian/Pacific Islander births since 1980. Data on Hispanic origin are available since 1989. Teen birth rates for specific racial and ethnic categories are also available since 1989. From 2003 through 2015, the birth data by race were based on the “bridged” race categories (5). Starting in 2016, the race categories for reporting birth data changed; the new race and Hispanic origin categories are: Non-Hispanic, Single Race White; Non-Hispanic, Single Race Black; Non-Hispanic, Single Race American Indian/Alaska Native; Non-Hispanic, Single Race Asian; and, Non-Hispanic, Single Race Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (5,6). Birth data by the prior, “bridged” race (and Hispanic origin) categories are included through 2018 for comparison.

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

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

--- Original source retains full ownership of the source dataset ---

This statistic displays the first birth rates for women aged 35 to 39 in the United States between 1990 and 2012, by ethnicity. In 2000, non-Hispanic white women between 35 and 39 years of age had a first birth rate of 9.4 per 1,000 women. The average age of women who have their first births has been rising over the past years. Having children at later ages will impact the size, composition, and growth of the country's population.

Birth rate is number of live births per 1,000 people in a year. Data are for Santa Clara County residents. The measure is summarized for total county population by race/ethnicity. Data trends are from year 2000 to 2015. Source: Santa Clara County Public Health Department, 2000-2015 Birth Statistical Master File; U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census.METADATA:Notes (String): Lists table title, notes, sourcesYear (Numeric): Year of birthCategory (String): Lists the category representing the data: Santa Clara County is for total population, race/ethnicity: African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Latino and White (non-Hispanic White only).Rate per 1,000 people (Numeric): Birth rate is number of live births per 1,000 people in a year.

In the United States, non-Hispanic Black women currently have higher rates of twin births than any other ethnicity or race with 41.4 per 1,000 live births being twins. There are two types of twins, identical and fraternal. Identical twins form when one fertilized egg splits and develops two babies, while fraternal twins form from two eggs that are fertilized by two sperm. Fraternal twins, although born at the same time, are no more alike than siblings born at different times. Twin births in the United States The birth rate for twins in the United States has increased over the past few decades, with around 30.7 twin births per 1,000 live births in 2023. Factors that increase the odds of having a twin birth include race, genetics, the number of previous pregnancies, assisted reproductive techniques, and the age of the mother. Those aged 45 to 54 years have a significantly higher twin birth rate than younger women in the United States. The states with the highest average twin birth rates include Alabama, Michigan, and Iowa. Birth rates in the United States As is the case in many other developed countries, the birth rate in the United States has steadily decreased. In 2023, there were just 10.7 births per 1,000 population, compared to 16.7 births per 1,000 population in the year 1990. Unsurprisingly, the birth rate is highest among women aged 20 to 34 years, however women are increasingly having birth later in life.

Analysis of ‘Percentage of Births in High Poverty for Adolescents’ provided by Analyst-2 (analyst-2.ai), based on source dataset retrieved from https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/dade7d7c-e5d2-474b-9b61-405d2a18889a on 27 January 2022.

--- Dataset description provided by original source is as follows ---

This dataset contains an indicator concerning births among adolescents aged 15-19: Percentage of Births in High Poverty Area (PBHP). Early childbearing is an important public health issue that can be addressed by monitoring surveillance data such as percentage of births in high poverty area (PBHP). This data, particularly across small areas such as Medical Service Areas, are a valuable part of surveillance that informs program planning efforts targeting localized needs. The indicator (PBHP) is stratified by adolescent mothers' race and Hispanic ethnicity. The race and Hispanic ethnic groups in this table utilize four mutually exclusive race and ethnicity categories. These categories are Hispanic (HISP) and the following Non-Hispanic categories of Black, Asian, and White. Data should not be compared to previous data where birth rates were presented by Medical Service Study Area due to differences in methodology and population data sources. A link to the full report about these current data can be found here http://www.cdph.ca.gov/data/statistics/Documents/150603CAABRPRBPOVbymssaapprovedCM.pdf

--- Original source retains full ownership of the source dataset ---

Graph and download economic data for Consumer Unit Characteristics: Percent White, Asian, and All Other Races, Not Including African American by Generation: Birth Year from 1965 to 1980 (CXUWHTNDOTHLB1603M) from 2016 to 2023 about consumer unit, birth, asian, white, percent, and USA.

This dataset contains California’s adolescent birth rate (ABR) by county, age group and race/ethnicity using aggregated years 2014-2016. The ABR is calculated as the number of live births to females aged 15-19 divided by the female population aged 15-19, multiplied by 1,000. Births to females under age 15 are uncommon and thus added to the numerator (total number of births aged 15-19) in calculating the ABR for aged 15-19. The categories by age group are aged 18-19 and aged 15-17; births occurring to females under aged 15 are added to the numerator for aged 15-17 in calculating the ABR for this age group. The race and ethnic groups in this table utilized five mutually exclusive race and ethnicity categories. These categories are Hispanic and the following Non-Hispanic categories of Multi-Race, Black, American Indian (includes Eskimo and Aleut), Asian and Pacific Islander (includes Hawaiian) combined, and White. Note that there are birth records with missing race/ethnicity or categorized as “Other” and not shown in the dataset but included in the ABR calculation overall.

From 1996 to 2022, cesarean delivery rates in the U.S. varied from one ethnicity to another, with non-Hispanic Black women having the highest rate of c-sections. The discrepancy between non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White has increased from two percent in 2007 to over five percent in 2022.

This statistic displays the first birth rates for women aged 40 to 44 years in the United States, by ethnicity and for the period between 1990 and 2012. In 2000, non-Hispanic white women between 40 and 44 years of age had a first birth rate of 1.7 per 1,000 women. The average age of women who have their first births has been rising over the past years. Having children at later ages will impact the size, composition, and growth of the country's population.

In 2019, Hispanic women with no high school diploma or no college degree had higher total fertility rates (TFR) compared to women of other ethnicities. This difference changed with educational level and among women with a doctorate or professional degree, there was almost no difference in TFR between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women. This statistic depicts the total fertility rate of U.S. women in 2019, by maternal educational attainment and ethnicity.

Teenage birth rate is number of live births among females ages 15 to 19 years per 1,000 females in that age group in a year. Data are for Santa Clara County residents. The measure is summarized for total county population by race/ethnicity. Teenage birth rates are presented for females ages 15 to 17, 18 to 19 and 15 to 19 years. Data trends are from year 2000 to 2015. Source: Santa Clara County Public Health Department, 2000-2015 Birth Statistical Master File; U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census.METADATA:Notes (String): Lists table title, notes, sourcesYear (Numeric): Year of birthAge group (String): Lists the age of mother at the time of birth: 15 to 17, 18 to 19 and 15 to 19 years.Category (String): Lists the category representing the data: Santa Clara County is for total population, race/ethnicity: African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Latino and White (non-Hispanic White only).Rate per 1,000 females in the age group (Numeric): Teen birth rate is number of live births to mothers ages 15 to 19 years at the time of birth per 1,000 females in that age group in a year. Rate based on birth count less than 6 in a year in the area are not presented.

The total fertility rate of the world has dropped from around five children per woman in 1950, to 2.3 children per woman in 2023, which means that women today are having fewer than half the number of children that women did 75 years ago. This change has come as a result of the global demographic transition, and is influenced by factors such as the significant reduction in infant and child mortality, reduced number of child marriages, increased educational and vocational opportunities for women, and the increased efficacy and availability of contraception. While this change has become synonymous with societal progress, it does have wide-reaching demographic impact - if the global average falls below replacement level (roughly 2.1 children per woman), as is expected to happen in the 2050s, then this will lead to long-term population decline on a global scale.

When broken down by continent, Africa is the only region with a fertility rate above the global average, while it and Oceania are the only regions with above replacement level fertility rates. Until the 1980s, women in Africa could expect to have almost seven children throughout the course of their lifetimes, and there are still eight countries in Africa where the average woman of childbearing age can still expect to have five or more children in 2023. Historically, Europe has had the lowest fertility rate in the world over the past century, falling below replacement level in 1975 - Europe's population has grown through a combination of migration and increasing life expectancy, however even high immigration rates could not prevent its population from going into decline in 2021.

This graph shows the population of the U.S. by race and ethnic group from 2000 to 2023. In 2023, there were around 21.39 million people of Asian origin living in the United States. A ranking of the most spoken languages across the world can be accessed here. U.S. populationCurrently, the white population makes up the vast majority of the United States’ population, accounting for some 252.07 million people in 2023. This ethnicity group contributes to the highest share of the population in every region, but is especially noticeable in the Midwestern region. The Black or African American resident population totaled 45.76 million people in the same year. The overall population in the United States is expected to increase annually from 2022, with the 320.92 million people in 2015 expected to rise to 341.69 million people by 2027. Thus, population densities have also increased, totaling 36.3 inhabitants per square kilometer as of 2021. Despite being one of the most populous countries in the world, following China and India, the United States is not even among the top 150 most densely populated countries due to its large land mass. Monaco is the most densely populated country in the world and has a population density of 24,621.5 inhabitants per square kilometer as of 2021. As population numbers in the U.S. continues to grow, the Hispanic population has also seen a similar trend from 35.7 million inhabitants in the country in 2000 to some 62.65 million inhabitants in 2021. This growing population group is a significant source of population growth in the country due to both high immigration and birth rates. The United States is one of the most racially diverse countries in the world.

Adequate prenatal visit during pregnancy is measured as the number of live births to females receiving adequate prenatal care by the Adequacy of Prenatal Care Utilization Index (APNCU) per 100 live births in a year. Adequate prenatal care equates to prenatal care beginning by the 4th month of pregnancy and 80% or more of recommended prenatal care visits received during pregnancy. Data are for Santa Clara County residents. The measure is summarized for total county population by race/ethnicity and age of the mother. Data trends are from year 2006 to 2015. Source: Santa Clara County Public Health Department, Birth Statistical Master File, 2006-2015.METADATA:Notes (String): Lists table title, notes, sourcesYear (Numeric): Year of birthCategory (String): Lists the category representing the data: Santa Clara County is for total population, race/ethnicity: African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Latino and White (non-Hispanic White only), and age of mother at the time of birth: 15 to 17, 18 to 29, 20 to 24, 25 to 34, 35 to 44, 45 years and over.Percentage (Numeric): Adequate prenatal care visit during pregnancy is measured as the percentage of live births to females receiving adequate prenatal care by the Adequacy of Prenatal Care Utilization Index (APNCU) per 100 live births in a year. Adequate prenatal care equates to prenatal care beginning by the 4th month of pregnancy and 80% or more of recommended prenatal care visits received during pregnancy.

This paper documents a set of facts about the dramatic decline in birth rates in the United States between 2007 and 2020 and explores possible explanations for it. The overall reduction in the birth rate reflects both very large declines within certain groups of women, including teens and Hispanic women – and smaller declines among demographic groups that comprise a large population share, including college-educated white women. We explore potential economic, policy, and social factors that might be responsible for the overall decline. We conclude from our empirical examination of possible factors that there is not a readily identifiable economic or policy factor or set of factors this is likely responsible for a substantial share of the decline. Instead, the patterns observed suggest that widespread, hard to quantify changes in preferences for having children, aspirations for life, and the nature of parenting are more likely behind the recent decline in US births. We conclude with a brief discussion about the societal consequences for a declining birth rate and what the United States might do about it.

Preterm birth rate is number of newborn babies born before 37 completed weeks of gestation per 100 live births in a year. Data are for Santa Clara County residents. The measure is summarized for total county population by race/ethnicity and age of the mother. Data trends are from year 2006 to 2015. Source: Santa Clara County Public Health Department, Birth Stastical Master File, 2006-2015; Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Osterman MJK, et al. Births: Final data for 2015. National vital statistics report; vol 66, no 1. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2017; Kidsdata.org; HealthyPeople 2020.METADATA:Notes (String): Lists table title, notes, sourcesYear (Numeric): Year of birthCategory (String): Lists the category representing the data: Santa Clara County is for total population, race/ethnicity: African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Latino and White (non-Hispanic White only), and age of mother at the time of birth: 15 to 17, 18 to 29, 20 to 24, 25 to 34, 35 to 44, 45 years and over.Percentage (Numeric): Preterm births is number of live births with infants born before 37 completed weeks of gestation per 100 live births in a year.