Women aged 40–44 continued their long-standing rise in birth rates since 1985
The number of newborn babies in the US shot up 1% to about 3.6 million in 2024, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday.
While it’s the first increase in years, experts say US fertility rates have been sliding since the 2008 recession. Pressures like economic uncertainty, housing and childcare costs still keep people away from having children.
The CDC data shows,
- Births among Hispanics jumped 4%, while births among Asian women increased by 5%.
- Women aged 40–44 continued their long-standing rise in birth rates since 1985.
- Births among teenage girls hit a record low, from 61.8 births every 1,000 15- to 19-year-olds to 12.7 births last year.
Despite the 1% rise, US fertility rates remain at record lows. This uptick comes at a time when the Trump Administration is quietly assembling a cultural campaign aimed at reversing America’s falling birthrates.
Some of the ideas floated are: reserving 30% of Fulbright scholarships for married or parenting applicants, offering a $5,000 “baby bonus” to new mothers, and funding programs to teach women about ovulation and fertility.