Recent decline in births in the United States, 2007-2009

From 2007 through 2009, birth rates for women aged 15-44 (fertility rates) fell for most states and nearly all major population subgroups. Birth rates declined for all women under age 40 with some of the largest decreases for women in their peak childbearing years. Fertility rates dropped for all major racial and Hispanic groups with the largest declines among Hispanic women. Birth rates by live-birth order also fell with the largest declines for third-order births and progressively smaller declines for second- and first-order births. Fertility rates decreased or were unchanged in every state and the District of Columbia with the largest declines among western and southeastern states. The number of births in the United States reached an all-time high of 4,316,233 in 2007, but that number has since fallen. From 2007 through 2009, births fell 4 percent to 4,131,019; and the provisional count of births through June 2010 indicated continued declines. Fertility rates--which relate the number of births to women aged 15-44 (i.e., the childbearing years)--also fell during this time frame.This report takes a more detailed look at the decline in births from 2007 through 2009 by mother's age, race and ethnicity, birth order, and state. The analysis is based on a comparison of 2007 final and 2009 preliminary birth data from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS), and are the most current detailed birth data available.