The US fertility rate reached a new low in 2024, CDC data shows

New York – In the United States, the fertility rate fell to a historic hollow in 2024 with less than 1.6 children per woman, according to new federal data published Thursday.

The United States was once among a few developed countries with a rate that ensured that each generation had enough children to replace – around 2.1 children per woman. But it has been running into America for almost two decades while more and more women are waiting longer to have children or not to do this at all.

The new statistic is tied with fertility rates in Western European countries, according to the World Bank data.

Alarmed by recent decrees, Trump administration has taken measures to increase the drop in birth rate rates, such as the issuance of a decree intended to extend access and reduce the costs of in vitro fertilization and to support the idea of “babies bonus” which could encourage more couples to have children.

But there is no reason to be alarmed, according to Leslie Root, a Boulder researcher from the University of Colorado focused on fertility and demographic policy.

“We see him as part of a continuous process of delay in fertility. We know that the American population is still increasing, and we always have a natural increase-more births than deaths, “she said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention American have released statistics from the total fertility rate with updated birth data for 2024.

In the early 1960s, the total American fertility rate was approximately 3.5, but dropped to 1.7 in 1976 after the end of the baby boom. It gradually increased to 2.1 in 2007 before falling again, apart from a 2014 increase. The rate in 2023 was 1.621 and decreased in 2024 to 1.599, according to the National Center for Health Statistics of the CDC.

Birth rates are generally decreasing for women in most age groups – and that does not seem to change in the near future, said Karen Guzzo, director of Carolina Population Center at the Northern Carolina University.

People get married later and are also concerned about their ability to have money, health insurance and other resources necessary to raise children in a stable environment.

“Concern is not a good time to have children”, and that is why birth rate in most age groups are not improving, “she said.

Asked about the birth promotion measures described by the Trump administration, Guzzo said they did not meet more important needs such as parental leave and affordable guard services.

“The things they do are really symbolic and unlikely to move things for real Americans,” she said.

The new CDC report, based on a more complete examination of birth certificates than the provisional data published earlier this year, also showed a 1% increase in births – around 33,000 others – last year compared to the previous year.

This brought the annual national total to just over 3.6 million babies born.

But this is different: the provisional data indicated that the birth rate increased last year for women at the end of the twenty and 30 years. However, the new report found that the birth rate decreased for women in the twenties and the early 1930s, and no change for women at the end of the thirties.

What happened? CDC officials said it was due to recalcis resulting from a change in the population of the American census population used to calculate the birth rate.

It’s plausible, said Root. While the total population of women of prosecutor has increased due to immigration, it has compensated for small increases in births to women in these age groups, she said.

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