According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States fertility rate has dropped to historically low levels.
The National Center for Health Statistics of the CDC stated in a recent report that the final data for 2023 shows a 3% decline in the US fertility rate compared to the previous year. This means that the overall fertility rate for women aged 15 to 44 was only 54.5 births per 1,000 women last year.
This marks the lowest recorded fertility level in history.
In 2022, the fertility rate was 56 births per 1,000 women of childbearing age, while in 2021 it was 56.3 births per 1,000 women.
The Epoch Times reached out to the CDC for comment on why the fertility rate has dropped so significantly, but the CDC declined to comment.
The latest report also shows a decrease in the number of births from 3.66 million in 2022 to 3.59 million in 2023, the lowest number since 1979. The peak in births was in 2007 when there were 4.3 million births.
A recent study by the Pew Research Center found that many childless adults indicated they never intend to have children, citing reasons such as not wanting children, wanting to focus on other aspects of life like careers, and concerns about the financial responsibility of raising children.
The CDC report utilized data from the national vital statistics system, which includes birth certificates.
Researchers noted a decline in teenage fertility rates, continuing a trend in recent years. The fertility rate for girls aged 15-17 slightly decreased from 5.6 to 5.5 births per 1,000 girls, and for girls aged 18-19, it decreased from 25.8 to 24.6 births per 1,000 girls.
Researchers also found that in 2023, the rate of preterm births, babies born before 37 weeks of gestation, remained relatively stable at 10.4%, similar to 2022 figures.
These final data align closely with the preliminary data released by the CDC in April this year.
Preliminary data for 2024 is expected to be announced in the spring of next year.
In analyzing the data, CDC researchers also discovered an increasing number of women choosing not to seek prenatal care after becoming pregnant, particularly in the early stages. The data showed a significant rise in the percentage of pregnant women, increasing from 1% to 34% in the first trimester, declining prenatal care.
Prenatal care includes regular check-ups, nutritional advice, health screenings, as well as education and guidance on childbirth and infant care.
The percentage of mothers who completely forgo prenatal care rose to 2.3% in 2023, slightly higher than 2.2% in 2022 and 2.1% in 2021.
Nevertheless, researchers found that more pregnant women are opting to start prenatal care in the second trimester (around the 4th to 6th month of pregnancy), with 16.9% of pregnant women beginning care during this period in 2023 compared to 16.3% in 2022.
Additionally, some women are choosing to start prenatal care in the third trimester (around the 7th month of pregnancy until delivery), with 4.7% of women beginning prenatal care at this stage in 2023, compared to 4.6% in 2022.