US Birth Rates Stagnate in 2022 After Years of Declines: CDC

The birth rate in the United States didn’t change much from 2021 to 2022, according to newly released data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

From 2021 to 2022, the birth rate was “essentially unchanged,” the CDC revealed. There were 3,667,758 births recorded nationwide. There was a 1% increase in births from 2020 to 2021, with 3,664,292 recorded births in 2021. 

The fertility rate in 2022 was 56 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44, a slight decrease of 1% since 2021, which comes after a slight increase of 1% in the same population from 2020 to 2021.

In 2013, there were 3,932,181 births, and there were 3,136,965 births in 1973. The fertility rate in 2013 was 62.5 per 1,000 women aged 15-44, and in 1973 it was 69.2 per 1,000 women. 

There was a decline in birth rates for people aged 15 to 24, and a slight increase for people aged 25 to 29 and 35 to 44. This was similar to trends shown from 2020 to 2021. Young people may be having fewer babies because of worries about the economic and childcare landscape; they may think that they simply cannot afford to have children. 

The CDC announced in June that births in teens and young women hit a record low in 2022. 

There was a slight decrease of 1% in the rate of preterm births, landing at 10.8%. There was an increase of 4% in preterm births from 2020 to 2021, which some experts say may be attributed to disruptions in healthcare caused by the COVID pandemic. 

Birth rates declined during the 2020 pandemic, but experts say that they are starting to hit pre-pandemic levels again. However, the overall trend in births nationwide is still pointing downward, and has been since 1950. 

Fertility rates have trended downward across much of the world; this has been attributed to more women in the workforce, greater opportunities for them to get an education, and the increasing cost of having children – whether it be childcare, school tuition or medical bills. 

According to experts, the impact of the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade and allowed states to criminalize abortion on birth rates still remains to be seen.