Overview

• Average age of all mothers rose from 28.7 years in 2016 to 29.6 in 2023, with first births climbing from 26.6 to 27.5.
• Teen births accounted for 11.8% of first births in 2016 but fell to 8.7% by 2023, reflecting ongoing declines in adolescent pregnancies.
• Women in large metropolitan areas now have their first child at about 28.5 years old compared with 24.8 years in rural regions.
• All racial and ethnic groups saw increases in maternal age, with first-time Asian mothers showing the largest rise from 30.1 to 31.5 years.
• Career ambitions and advances in reproductive technologies are giving women greater control over when they start families.