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U.S. Fertility Hits Record Low in 2025, CDC Says

The drop signals slower population growth driven by later childbearing.

Overview

  • The CDC, which released provisional 2025 figures Thursday based on 99.95% of records, reported 3,606,400 births and a general fertility rate of 53.1 per 1,000, both down 1% from 2024.
  • Birth rates fell for women under 30, while they rose for those 30–44, including a 4.4% drop for ages 25–29 and roughly a 3% rise for ages 30–34.
  • Teen fertility hit new lows, with rates down 7% for ages 18–19 and 11% for ages 15–17, extending a 72% decline since 2007.
  • The estimated total fertility rate was about 1.57 births per woman, far below the 2.1 needed to replace the population without immigration.
  • C‑section deliveries rose to 32.5%, the highest since 2013, while the preterm birth rate held steady at 10.41%, a mix that challenges hospital labor and delivery planning.