The nation’s fertility rates hit record lows in 2025 as childbearing continued to shift toward older women, according to new federal data released Thursday. The number of births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44—the general fertility rate—reached a record low of 53.1 in 2025, according to provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Another measure—the total fertility rate—also hit a record low. Last year, America’s total fertility rate fell to 1.57 births per woman, according to a Wall Street Journal calculation using provisional CDC data. The drop in total fertility in the U.S. follows worldwide trends, but it remains higher than in many developed nations.

Source: Wall Street Journal April 12, 2026 12:02 UTC