Number of live births in United States
United States: Number of live births was 3.60 million births in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
3.60 million births
Change on year
down 2.0%
World rank
1st
of 34 countries
All-time high
4.32 million births
in 2007
All-time low
2.08 million births
in 1933
Years of data
91
1933–2023
Number of live births in United States, 1933–2023
Source: Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of live births in United States is 3.60 million births, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.0% on the previous year and down 8.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of live births in United States peaked at 4.32 million births in 2007 and was at its lowest, 2.08 million births, in 1933.
United States ranks 1st of 34 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 91 years of available data.
Number of live births in United States, year by year
| Year | births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1933 | 2.08 million births | — |
| 1934 | 2.17 million births | +4.2% |
| 1935 | 2.16 million births | -0.6% |
| 1936 | 2.14 million births | -0.5% |
| 1937 | 2.20 million births | +2.7% |
| 1938 | 2.29 million births | +3.8% |
| 1939 | 2.27 million births | -0.9% |
| 1940 | 2.36 million births | +4.2% |
| 1941 | 2.51 million births | +6.5% |
| 1942 | 2.81 million births | +11.8% |
| 1943 | 2.93 million births | +4.5% |
| 1944 | 2.79 million births | -4.8% |
| 1945 | 2.74 million births | -2.1% |
| 1946 | 3.29 million births | +20.2% |
| 1947 | 3.70 million births | +12.5% |
| 1948 | 3.54 million births | -4.5% |
| 1949 | 3.56 million births | +0.7% |
| 1950 | 3.55 million births | -0.2% |
| 1951 | 3.75 million births | +5.5% |
| 1952 | 3.85 million births | +2.6% |
| 1953 | 3.90 million births | +1.4% |
| 1954 | 4.02 million births | +3.0% |
| 1955 | 4.05 million births | +0.7% |
| 1956 | 4.16 million births | +2.9% |
| 1957 | 4.25 million births | +2.2% |
| 1958 | 4.20 million births | -1.2% |
| 1959 | 4.24 million births | +1.0% |
| 1960 | 4.26 million births | +0.3% |
| 1961 | 4.27 million births | +0.2% |
| 1962 | 4.17 million births | -2.4% |
| 1963 | 4.10 million births | -1.7% |
| 1964 | 4.03 million births | -1.7% |
| 1965 | 3.76 million births | -6.6% |
| 1966 | 3.61 million births | -4.1% |
| 1967 | 3.52 million births | -2.4% |
| 1968 | 3.50 million births | -0.6% |
| 1969 | 3.60 million births | +2.8% |
| 1970 | 3.73 million births | +3.6% |
| 1971 | 3.56 million births | -4.7% |
| 1972 | 3.26 million births | -8.4% |
| 1973 | 3.14 million births | -3.7% |
| 1974 | 3.16 million births | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 3.14 million births | -0.5% |
| 1976 | 3.17 million births | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 3.33 million births | +5.0% |
| 1978 | 3.33 million births | +0.2% |
| 1979 | 3.49 million births | +4.8% |
| 1980 | 3.61 million births | +3.4% |
| 1981 | 3.63 million births | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 3.68 million births | +1.4% |
| 1983 | 3.64 million births | -1.1% |
| 1984 | 3.67 million births | +0.8% |
| 1985 | 3.76 million births | +2.5% |
| 1986 | 3.76 million births | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 3.81 million births | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 3.91 million births | +2.6% |
| 1989 | 4.04 million births | +3.4% |
| 1990 | 4.16 million births | +2.9% |
| 1991 | 4.11 million births | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 4.07 million births | -1.1% |
| 1993 | 4.00 million births | -1.6% |
| 1994 | 3.95 million births | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 3.90 million births | -1.3% |
| 1996 | 3.89 million births | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 3.88 million births | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 3.94 million births | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 3.96 million births | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 4.06 million births | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 4.03 million births | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 4.02 million births | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 4.09 million births | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 4.11 million births | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 4.14 million births | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 4.27 million births | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 4.32 million births | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 4.25 million births | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 4.13 million births | -2.8% |
| 2010 | 4.00 million births | -3.2% |
| 2011 | 3.95 million births | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 3.95 million births | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 3.93 million births | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 3.99 million births | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 3.98 million births | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 3.95 million births | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 3.86 million births | -2.3% |
| 2018 | 3.79 million births | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 3.75 million births | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 3.61 million births | -3.6% |
| 2021 | 3.66 million births | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 3.67 million births | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 3.60 million births | -2.0% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 3.60 million births is above the median for high income countries, which is 98,451 births, 36.5× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 2.19 million births | 2.08 million births | 2.29 million births | 7 |
| 1940s | 3.02 million births | 2.36 million births | 3.70 million births | 10 |
| 1950s | 4.00 million births | 3.55 million births | 4.25 million births | 10 |
| 1960s | 3.88 million births | 3.50 million births | 4.27 million births | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.33 million births | 3.14 million births | 3.73 million births | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.75 million births | 3.61 million births | 4.04 million births | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.99 million births | 3.88 million births | 4.16 million births | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.14 million births | 4.02 million births | 4.32 million births | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.91 million births | 3.75 million births | 4.00 million births | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.64 million births | 3.60 million births | 3.67 million births | 4 |
Countries ranked near United States
More population data for United States
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.0241 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.1369 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -2.8 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.1369 % change on previous year (2100)
- 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)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.1565 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.4762 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of live births in United States?
- Number of live births in United States was 3.60 million births in 2023, according to Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of live births recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 4.32 million births in 2007.
- What is the lowest number of live births recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.08 million births in 1933.
- How does United States rank for number of live births?
- United States ranks 1st out of 34 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of live births rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of live births. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total number of live births recorded in a given year.