According to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2025 the country's overall birth rate declined by 1% and reached a new historic low — 53,2 births per 1000 women aged 15–44.
The number of registered births was 3 612 012, which is less than the 2024 figure by less than 1%.
The decline primarily affected younger age groups. The birth rate among teenagers aged 15–19 fell by 7% — to 11,7 per 1000. Among women aged 20–24 it decreased by 6% (to 52,3), and among those aged 25–29 — by 4% (to 85,7).
At the same time, the picture is different for women over 30. In the 30–34 age group, the birth rate rose by 3% — to 96,3 per 1000. Among those aged 35–39 the increase was 2% (to 55,2), and among those aged 40–44 — 1% (to 12,8).
CDC demographer Brady Hamilton noted that the decline among women in their twenties is especially pronounced and continues a long-standing trend. Women are increasingly postponing motherhood, seeking first to build a career and achieve financial stability.
As NPR emphasizes, citing CDC data, this shift reflects broader changes in society: access to education, contraception, and priorities related to work and personal life.
The median age of the U.S. population has already reached 39,4 in 2025. What this means for the country's future is a question to which there is as yet no clear answer.
The CDC report confirms: the decline in birth rates among younger women is not fully offset by the increase among older groups, and the overall trend has remained downward for two decades now.
