The United States recorded its lowest general fertility rate on record in 2025, with births declining among younger women even as birth rates increased among women ages 30 to 44, according to new federal data.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The U.S. fertility rate fell to another record low in 2025, continuing a decadeslong decline in childbearing as the number of babies born nationwide dropped below the previous year’s total, according to newly released data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The National Center for Health Statistics reported Oct. 21 that the general fertility rate declined to 53.2 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 in 2025, down approximately 1% from 53.8 in 2024. The figure represents the lowest rate recorded in the nation’s history.
A total of 3,612,012 babies were born in the United States last year, compared with 3,628,934 in 2024, a decrease of 16,922 births, or less than 1%.
The findings are based on final birth registration records collected through the National Vital Statistics System, providing a more complete assessment than preliminary estimates released earlier this year.
The report, titled Births in the United States, 2025, was prepared by CDC researchers Brady E. Hamilton and Michelle J.K. Osterman.
Federal data show that declining birth rates among younger women continue to drive the national trend, while childbirth is becoming increasingly concentrated among women in their 30s and early 40s.
From 2024 to 2025, birth rates declined among females ages 10 to 29, reaching record lows across those age groups. Meanwhile, rates increased among women ages 30 to 44 and remained unchanged among women ages 45 to 49.
The shifting pattern reflects changes in when American women are having children, with a growing share of births occurring later in adulthood.
The CDC’s findings continue a long-term decline that accelerated after 2007, when the general fertility rate stood considerably higher.
According to the agency’s earlier provisional report, the general fertility rate has generally declined since 2007, falling approximately 23% over that period.
Teenage births have experienced particularly substantial declines.
Preliminary 2025 data showed that the birth rate among teenagers ages 15 to 19 fell 7% to 11.7 births per 1,000 females, another historic low.
The rate among younger teenagers ages 15 to 17 declined 11%, while the rate among those ages 18 and 19 decreased 7%.
Federal researchers have documented several long-term changes associated with declining fertility, including delayed marriage and childbearing, economic pressures, reproductive choices and changing family formation patterns.
However, the latest CDC report primarily documents demographic trends and does not establish which factors caused the decline in 2025.
The distinction between the number of births and the fertility rate is important.
The number of births reflects how many babies were born during the year, while the general fertility rate measures births relative to the population of women of reproductive age.
A declining fertility rate therefore indicates fewer births relative to the size of that population, even when the total number of births changes only slightly.
The continued decline has implications for future population growth, workforce demographics and government programs that depend on contributions from working-age Americans.
Lower birth rates, combined with longer life expectancy, can contribute to an aging population and a smaller share of younger workers relative to retirees.
The CDC also reported several developments involving maternal health care.
The percentage of mothers who began prenatal care during the first trimester increased to 76.3% in 2025, with improvements recorded among mothers younger than 40.
Early prenatal care allows health professionals to monitor pregnancies, identify potential complications and provide guidance during fetal development.
The national cesarean delivery rate remained unchanged from 2024 at 32.4%, although the rate decreased among women ages 20 to 29.
The findings suggest that while Americans are continuing to have fewer children relative to the population of reproductive-age women, certain measures of maternal health care access and utilization improved during the same period.
The new figures also revise the CDC’s preliminary estimate of 3,606,400 births in 2025, which was released in April. The final count is slightly higher but confirms the broader downward trend.
The agency’s latest report provides additional evidence that American fertility patterns are undergoing a sustained demographic shift, with fewer births among younger women and increasing rates of childbearing at older ages.
With the general fertility rate now at its lowest recorded level, the findings add to ongoing discussions about family affordability, population aging and the long-term economic consequences of declining birth rates.
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