The U.S. fertility rate has reached another historic low, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency’s National Center for Health Statistics reported that the general fertility rate fell to 53.2 births per 1,000 women ages 15–44 in 2025. That represents a 1% decline from 2024 and continues a long-term downward trend.
The CDC’s October 2026 birth statistics report recorded approximately 3.61 million births nationwide in 2025, compared with 3.63 million in 2024. Although the annual decline was relatively small, the fertility rate reached a record low, highlighting a major demographic shift in the United States.
Teen Birth Rates Continue to Fall
The decline is not uniform across every age group. According to the CDC, birth rates fell among females ages 10–29, while rates increased among women ages 30–44. The rate for teenagers ages 15–19 dropped 7% in 2025 to 11.7 births per 1,000 females, another record low.
The agency’s official April 2026 announcement highlighted the continuing decline in births and teenage fertility. Detailed national statistics are also available through the CDC’s birth data resource.
Why Are Americans Having Fewer Children?
There is no single explanation for the long-term decline. Financial pressures may influence family decisions, including housing costs, childcare expenses, healthcare bills and uncertainty about future income. Some adults also choose to delay parenthood while pursuing education, building careers or seeking greater financial stability.
Pew Research Center’s survey of American adults examines why some people do not expect to have children. These responses offer useful context, although survey findings do not establish that any single factor caused the national fertility decline.
National population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau provide additional context for understanding how birth patterns affect the country’s changing age structure and future population growth.
What a Record-Low Fertility Rate Means
A declining fertility rate can influence the nation’s long-term demographic balance. If lower birth rates persist, the United States could face slower growth in its working-age population over time. That may affect workforce planning, tax revenues and demand for public services, although immigration, life expectancy and future birth patterns also shape these outcomes.
The CDC’s provisional natality data dashboard tracks changes in births and related health indicators. Meanwhile, the Census Bureau’s population projections help researchers examine possible future demographic scenarios.
The latest figures do not mean Americans have stopped having children, nor do they prove that economic pressures alone explain the decline. Instead, they show that childbearing patterns are changing across generations. Understanding these changes will require continued research into household finances, personal choices, healthcare access and broader social conditions.
For policymakers and communities, the central challenge is understanding what families need and how demographic change may shape the country’s future.
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