Birthrates in the U.S. reach historic low"The U.S. birthrate has generally fallen below replacement level — the fertility level needed for one generation to replace itself — since 1971.
According to the CDC, just under 3.6 million babies were born in 2023, compared with almost 3.7 million in 2022.
The report also highlighted a continuing decrease in teen birthrates, and it noted a marginal uptick in caesarean deliveries. The birthrate for those ages 15 to 19 reached record lows in 2023, according to the provisional data, but that represents only a 3 percent decrease from 2022.
A sustained decrease in birthrates can have far-reaching effects on various aspects of society, including the economy, health-care systems and family structures.
Julia Strasser, director of the Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health and an assistant research professor of health policy and management at George Washington University, said that although experts have not pinpointed a single cause for this decline, factors such as student loan debt, high housing costs and economic uncertainty are thought to influence younger generations’ decisions to delay or forgo having children.
Strasser added that recent court rulings on birth control, fertility treatments and women’s reproductive health also could have an effect on birthrates.
"States with abortion bans already have some of the worst maternal health outcomes and poverty rates in the U.S., both of which are key factors in determining the birthrate,” she said. “If there is an increase in births in these states but a decrease in births in states that protect abortion, what we’re seeing is likely to reflect growing disparities in terms of maternal health and social safety net.”
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