Fertility and wanted fertility in United States
United States: Fertility and wanted fertility was 1.63 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
1.63
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
133rd
of 215 countries
All-time high
3.65
in 1960
All-time low
1.62
in 2023
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Fertility and wanted fertility in United States, 1960–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fertility and wanted fertility in United States is 1.63, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and down 12.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility and wanted fertility in United States peaked at 3.65 in 1960 and was at its lowest, 1.62, in 2023.
United States ranks 133rd of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.04 | 2.46 | 3.65 | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.93 | 1.74 | 2.48 | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.86 | 1.8 | 2.01 | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.01 | 1.97 | 2.08 | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.06 | 2 | 2.12 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.83 | 1.71 | 1.93 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.64 | 1.62 | 1.66 | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
More population data for United States
- Population growth rate 0.129 (2100)
- Population density 46.05 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 19.91 million (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development 0.129 (2100)
- Fertility vs contraception 1.63 (2024)
- Fertility vs unmet contraception 1.63 (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum 435,333 (2024)
- Fertility rate vs share that are religious 1.62 (2023)
- Effective fertility rate children per woman who are expected to surviv 1.6 (2023)
- Fertility rate by age group 13.14 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility and wanted fertility in United States?
- Fertility and wanted fertility in United States was 1.63 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertility and wanted fertility recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 3.65 in 1960.
- What is the lowest fertility and wanted fertility recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.62 in 2023.
- How does United States rank for fertility and wanted fertility?
- United States ranks 133rd out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is fertility and wanted fertility rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility and wanted fertility. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).