US Fertility Rate Plummeted To All-Time Low In 2024, New Data Shows

The U.S. fertility rate dropped to a new all-time low of 1.6 children per woman in 2024, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released Thursday.

Though the fertility rate has declined, the CDC found that the total number of births in the U.S. increased 1% from 2023 to 2024 — hitting 3,628,934 births. Meanwhile, birth rates declined for females aged 15 to 34 from 2023 to 2024, according to the CDC.

Additionally, birth rates remained unchanged for women ages 35 to 39 from 2023 to 2024, the CDC reported. Birth rates however increased for women ages 40 to 44 during the same time period, according to the agency.

Fertility rates have notably been declining in the U.S. for decades. A report by the conservative Heritage Foundation released in March 2025 found that much of the recent drop in fertility rates in the U.S. is attributable to the fact that many women are postponing births and marriage. The last time the U.S. fertility rate was above replacement level — generally defined as 2.1 births per woman — was in 2007 when it was 2.12, according to data from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).