The U.S. general fertility rate fell to 53.2 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 in 2025, down 1% from 53.8 in 2024 and a record low, according to final data released Oct. 21 by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. The country recorded 3,612,012 births, a decline of less than 1%.
The teen birth rate dropped 7%, to 11.7 births per 1,000 females ages 15 to 19, another record low. Birth rates also fell for women in their 20s while rising for women in their 30s and early 40s, continuing a long shift toward later parenthood.
