Birth rate in United States
United States: Birth rate was 10.65 births per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Birth rate in United States, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per 1,000 people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for birth rate in United States is 10.65 births per 1,000 people, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3.0% on the previous year and down 13.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, birth rate in United States peaked at 24.99 births per 1,000 people in 1957 and was at its lowest, 10.65 births per 1,000 people, in 2023.
That places United States 162nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 24.63 births per 1,000 people | 23.98 births per 1,000 people | 24.99 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 20.75 births per 1,000 people | 17.88 births per 1,000 people | 24.25 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 16.06 births per 1,000 people | 15.08 births per 1,000 people | 18.74 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 16.02 births per 1,000 people | 15.72 births per 1,000 people | 16.35 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.82 births per 1,000 people | 13.89 births per 1,000 people | 16.47 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.77 births per 1,000 people | 13.28 births per 1,000 people | 14.06 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.08 births per 1,000 people | 11.17 births per 1,000 people | 12.79 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.8 births per 1,000 people | 10.65 births per 1,000 people | 10.98 births per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 159 Moldova 10.76 births per 1,000 people compare
- 160 Turks and Caicos Islands 10.74 births per 1,000 people compare
- 161 Trinidad and Tobago 10.71 births per 1,000 people compare
- 165 Albania 10.24 births per 1,000 people compare
More population data for United States
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.1% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 19.91 million people (2100)
- Population density 46.05 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth 0.1% (2100)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 1.63 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 435,333 people (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 1.63 births per woman (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 1.63 births per woman (2024)
- Natural population growth rate 0.2% (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.62 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is birth rate in United States?
- Birth rate in United States was 10.65 births per 1,000 people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest birth rate recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 24.99 births per 1,000 people in 1957.
- What is the lowest birth rate recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.65 births per 1,000 people in 2023.
- How does United States rank for birth rate?
- United States ranks 162nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is birth rate rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Birth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The number of live births in a year per 1,000 people in the population.