U.S. births slightly decreased in 2025. That's according to new provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It reports just over 3.6 million births, about 24,000 fewer than in 2024. This decline aligns with expert predictions that the 2024 increase wouldn't start an upward trend. The CDC updated its data last week, covering nearly all of the babies born in 2025. Final numbers may add only a few thousand more. Despite efforts to encourage births, like expanding in vitro fertilization access, the fertility rate has been declining. Economic conditions and uncertainty continue to impact childbearing decisions.
U.S. births rose slightly last year, but experts don't see it as evidence of reversing a long-term decline. A little over 3.6 million births were reported for 2024. That's 22,250 more than the final tally of 2023 U.S. births, which was released Tuesday. The 2024 total is likely to grow at least a little when the numbers are finalized, but another set of preliminary data shows overall birth rates rose only for one group of people: Hispanic women. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the data. The average age of mothers at first birth has continued to rise, hitting 27 1/2 years. It was 21 1/2 in the early 1970s.
