Birth Statistics in the United States

Increased Age

In 1970, women, on average, had their first baby when they were 21.4 years old. This average age has increased to 25.4 years old.

While most births still occur in women in their 20s, women have been waiting longer to start their families. From 1970 to 2006, the number of women having their first baby at age 35 or older has increased nearly eight times.

Not only are women putting off having their first baby, but births to teenage girls are also at lower levels. Approximately 37% more teenage girls had babies in the 1970s than in 2000.

How old you will be when you have your first child may be related to where you live. The age at which women have their firstborn varies by state. For example, the average woman’s age at first childbirth ranged from a high of 27.7 years in Massachusetts to a low of 22.6 years in Mississippi.

Prenatal Care

Compared with their predecessors, women today are more likely to receive prenatal care, which is associated with healthier babies and fewer pregnancy-related complications. In 2008, about 71% of women received prenatal care in their first trimester.

Total Fertility Rate Down, More Boys Than Girls

In 2011, the number of children a woman will give birth to over her lifetime was 1.9 children. The rate declined for nearly all race and Hispanic origin groups.

In 2010, for every 1,000 girls that are born, 1048 boys were born.

Cesarean Deliveries

The number of women having cesarean sections (C-sections) increased between 1996 and 2009. However, the rate has been declining ever since. Cesarean sections now account for about 33% of deliveries.

Preterm Deliveries

Data from 2011 found that the number of babies born preterm (before 37 weeks of gestation) has decreased to 11.72% of all births. There was also a small decrease in the percentage of low birth weight babies (accounting for 8.1%).