Birth rates in 2019 in the U.S. continued a 5-year decline, according to a CDC report.
In 2019, there were 3.75 million births in the U.S. -- a 1% decrease from the year prior, reported Anne Driscoll, PhD, of the CDC Division of Vital Statistics, and colleagues.
The general fertility rate also dropped by 1%, to 58.3 births per 1,000 people, marking a record low, researchers wrote in a National Vital Statistics Report.
"This is the fifth year that the number of births has declined following an increase in 2014," Driscoll and colleagues noted. Prior to the last increase, births in the U.S. declined steadily from 2007 to 2013, they added.
While birth rates declined to lowest-ever numbers among teenagers and adults in their 20s and early 30s, rates increased among those ages 35 to 44.
Driscoll and colleagues reported data from birth certificates in all U.S. states and the District of Columbia, including births to mothers up to 64 years old. In addition to birth rate and fertility trends, the CDC researchers analyzed additional patterns based on maternal demographics, source of payment for delivery, mode of delivery, and infant characteristics.
In an analysis of birth rates by race and ethnicity, researchers found that births decreased the most (2%) among white and American Indian/Alaskan Native people. Among Black and Asian people, births decreased by 1%. The birth rate among Hispanic people remained unchanged. Among those who identified as Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, it rose by 3%.
Overall, the U.S. experienced fewer births in younger age groups. The birth rate among teens (15 to 19 years) dropped 4% from 2018 to 2019, to an all-time low of 16.7 per 1,000. Among people in their early 20s (20-24) and later 20s (25-29), the birth rate decreased by 2% each. The mean age of mothers at first birth was 27 years old, which was a record high.
The birth rate also decreased slightly among those in their 30s, representing the third straight year that this group experienced a decline. But among people 40 to 44, the birth rate went up 2%. The rate was unchanged among those over 45.
Smoking among pregnant people trended downward, decreasing from 6.5% in 2018 to 6% in 2019. Tobacco use was more common earlier in pregnancy.
The preterm birth rate in the U.S. was 10.2%, rising for the fifth year in a row. The percentage of infants who were born at low birth weight remained unchanged. Compared with 2018, there was a reduction in twin and triplet births in 2019.
Pregnant people also utilized more healthcare services in 2019, with more than three-quarters receiving prenatal care during their first trimester. Regarding mode of delivery, the percentage of C-section deliveries in the U.S. was 31.7%, a slight decrease from 31.9% in 2018. Notably, the C-section rate was the lowest since 2006.
Driscoll and team also noted that Medicaid was still the source of payment for almost half of all births in the U.S. However, the portion of private insurance-funded births increased from 49.6% to 50.2%.
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