U.S. Fertility Rates Fall to Another Record Low

Federal data show the U.S. general fertility rate fell to 53.1 births per 1,000 women in 2025, and total births declined about 1 percent to roughly 3.6 million.

Federal data show the U.S. fertility rate fell slightly in 2025 to a new record low, extending a decline that began in the mid-2000s. The general fertility rate measures births per 1,000 women of childbearing age. Total births also edged down compared with the previous year. Demographers note the pattern includes a sharp drop in births among teenagers and a shift toward births at older ages. Key findings: - The general fertility rate fell to 53.1 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 in 2025, down from 53.8 in 2024, according to provisional federal data. - Total births fell by about 1 percent to roughly 3,606,400 in 2025. - The teen birthrate declined 7 percent in 2025, and has fallen about 72 percent since 2007 and about 81 percent since 1991. - Birthrates rose for women ages 30 to 34, up about 3 percent in 2025, and births in the late 30s exceeded those in the early 20s for the first time, reflecting a shift toward later childbearing. - A Wall Street Journal calculation using provisional CDC data put the total fertility rate at about 1.57 births per woman in 2025; a rate below roughly 2.1 is commonly described as below replacement level. Summary: The new figures extend a long-running decline in U.S. fertility and show childbearing shifting toward older ages, with notably fewer births among teenagers. The 2025 numbers are provisional and may be adjusted when final data are released. Undetermined at this time.