CDC reports record low teen births in US with overall total decreasing by 2%

The number of births in the United States dropped in 2023, reaching 3.59 million, a decline of 2% from 2022. This is part of an overall trend since the mid-2010s when births have been decreasing. Teenage births hit a record low in 2023, with a rate of 13.2 births per 1,000 females for teenagers between 15 and 19 years old. Teen birth rates have been declining since 1991, with younger teens and older teens experiencing yearly decreases of 8% and 6%, respectively. Possible reasons for the decline include more teens abstaining from sex and increased use of birth control. Birth rates also dropped for women aged 20-29 and 30-39, while rates remained stable for pre-teens and teens aged 10-14 and women aged 40 and older. The fertility rate for women aged 15-44 decreased by 3% in 2023, continuing a trend from 2014 to 2020, rising briefly in 2021, and then declining again. The total fertility rate remains below replacement level. Cesarean delivery rates increased to 32.4% in 2023, marking the fourth consecutive yearly increase and the highest rate since 2013. Every racial/ethnic group saw a decline in births except for Hispanic women, whose births increased by 1%.

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