The US fertility rate hits another record low

The US fertility rate hit another record low (w/charts) in 2025, falling from 53.8 to 53.1 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released yesterday. The decline extends a nearly two-decade slide and reflects a broader shift toward later childbearing and smaller families. See data here.

Provisional data shows 3,606,400 total births last year, down 1% from 2024. Teen fertility dropped 7% to 11.7 births per 1,000 females ages 15 to 19, while births to that group fell 8% to 125,933. Rates for younger teens ages 15 to 17 and older teens ages 18 to 19 also reached record lows, while the rate for women ages 30 to 34 rose 3%. Since 2007, the overall birth rate has fallen 23%.

The news follows a global trend of declining fertility, with most nations now falling short of the roughly 2.1 children per woman needed for stable populations. Final CDC data is due later in 2026.