Birth rates in the US have reached an all-time low, according to data from the CDC

According to the CDC, just under 3.6 million babies were born in 2023, compared to nearly 3.7 million in 2022. The decline follows relative stability in the birth rate between 2021 and 2022, following a modest 1 percent increase between 2020 and 2021, when the coronavirus pandemic broke out. raged.

The report also highlighted a continued decline in teen births, and found a marginal increase in caesarean sections. The incidence of preterm births has remained consistent with previous years.

Brady E. Hamilton, lead author of the report, said trends in teen birth rates between 2022 and 2023 were among the more interesting findings. According to preliminary data, the birth rate for the 15 to 19 age group reached a record low in 2023, but that represents only a 3 percent decline from 2022.

Between 2007 and 2022, the rate fell by an average of 7 percent annually, so the slower pace of decline is notable.

“There may be a lot of states that are already low, and if you’re already low, you can’t go much lower,” Hamilton said.

He added that further research is needed to understand the reasons for these numbers, and that the final data will delve into different demographic groups and geographic regions to uncover the contributing factors.

Hamilton also noted that the data shows the fourth consecutive increase in the annual rate of C-sections since 2020. That’s a concerning trend because of the high risk of complications associated with C-sections versus vaginal births.

“A caesarean section is a major abdominal operation … it represents a risk to the health of the mother and the health of the child,” he said.

A sustained decline in the birth rate could have far-reaching consequences for several aspects of society, including the economy, healthcare systems and family structures.

Julia Strasser, director of the Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health and assistant research professor of health policy and management at George Washington University, said that while experts have not been able to pinpoint a single cause for this decline, factors such as student loan debt and the high cost of housing Economic insecurity and insecurity are believed to influence the decisions of younger generations to delay or forego having children.

Strasser added that recent court rulings on contraception, fertility treatments and women’s reproductive health could also have an effect on birth rates.

“States with abortion bans already have some of the worst maternal health outcomes and poverty rates in the U.S., both of which are key factors in determining birth rates,” she said. “If there is an increase in births in these states, but a decrease in births in states that protect abortion, what we see is likely to reflect growing inequities in maternal and the social safety net.”