US Birth Rate in 2024 Slightly Higher

Sunday, April 27th, 2025 -- 9:27 AM

(CNN) -Women in the United States are still having fewer babies than usual.

About 3.6 million babies were born in the U.S. last year. That is an increase of less than 1% from 2023 which was a record low at the time. The number of children women have, a metric known as the fertility rate, has been dropping since 2008. There are many reasons why the fertility rate has dropped, including the cost of raising children and waning confidence in maternal health care.

A jump in the fertility rate in 2021 that some thought might lead to a COVID-19 baby boom was short-lived. It all spells trouble for the baby boom the President has said he is hoping for.

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