Fewer women than ever are having babies in the US, a concerning trend the Trump administration is eager to reverse. 

Provisional CDC data show births rose in 2024 by just a fraction of a percent from 2023’s record low, fueling concerns about an aging population, strained social programs, and slower workforce and economic growth, especially compared to younger countries. 

President Donald Trump, concerned about eroding ‘family values,’ has floated policies to encourage more people to have children, including tax incentives for parents, paid family leave, and child subsidies.

White House aides are currently preparing a report to be released by mid-May, which will recommend ways to make in vitro fertilization more accessible to couples.

About 3.62 million babies were born in 2024 — up just one percent from 3.59 million in 2023. The fertility rate was 54.6 births per 1,000 women between 15 and 44 years old, a less than one percent increase from 2023.

This halted the steady two percent annual decline seen from 2014 to 2020 before leveling off. Still, the rate remains low and is not enough to reverse years of steady decline. 

The latest numbers suggest a possible turnaround, but experts warn America’s birth rate is still far below what’s needed to sustain long-term population growth.

More people are choosing to delay or forgo having children, prioritizing personal well-being, career opportunities, travel, and greater freedom

General fertility rates in the US have fallen precipitously since the post-World War II baby boom, dropping from roughly 100 births per 1,000 women to 54.6 births per 1,000 women

Dr Jamie Grifo, the program director at New York University Langone Fertility Center, told DailyMail.com: ‘We’re below zero population growth in the US, and have been for years.

‘I mean, I’m not someone who worries. I observe, and I don’t think we’re going to run out of people anytime too soon. 

‘But I think it will be a social factor. There will be a lot of issues that result from the lack of reproduction.’

The Trump administration, notably Elon Musk and Vice President JD Vance, has embraced what many call a ‘pro-natalist’ movement aimed at reversing declining birth rates.

One proposal being floated would offer a $5,000 baby bonus to new parents after the birth of a child, a plan Trump endorsed before reporters in the Oval Offfice. 

White House aides are also reportedly considering a plan that would reserve about 30 percent of prestigious Fulbright grant program for adult applicants who are married and have children. 

A third, according to the New York Times, would institute an education program to teach women about their menstrual cycles and how to track them to optimize their chances of conceiving. 

The government tracks two types of fertility rate measures: general and total fertility.  

The percentage of infants born preterm (before 37 weeks) dropped eight percent from 2007 to 2014, then rose seven percent through 2019. It dipped one percent in 2020, climbed four percent in 2021, and has held steady through 2024

The general fertility rate refers to the number of live births per 1,000 women of childbearing age (usually ages 15–44) in a given year. 

The total fertility rate is the average number of children a woman would be expected to have over her lifetime if she experienced the current year’s birth rates at each age throughout her reproductive years. 

General fertility rates in the US have fallen precipitously since the post-World War II baby boom, dropping from roughly 100 births per 1,000 women in the 1950s to 54.6 births per 1,000 women last year. 

That is the second-lowest rate on record – just above 2023’s record low of 54.5 births per 1,000 women.

Based on this year’s birth rates, the provisional total fertility rate equates to the average American woman having about 1.63 children over her lifetime.

Not a single state saw a rise in birth rates from 2007 to 2022, the most recent year for which state-level data is available. 

Utah saw the sharpest decline in its birth rate over the 15-year period, falling 36.2 percent from 21.2 births per 1,000 people in 2007 to 13.5 births.

North Dakota’s drop was the smallest in the nation. 

Vermont has the lowest general fertility rate at 44.3 births per 1,000 women, while  South Dakota had the highest at 66.5 births per 1,000 women.

Women are having babies at a lower rate than ever before due to a combination of factors. Experts have speculated this could be due to more people are having children later in life to prioritize their careers, education, financial stability, and personal choices.

The number of women aged 20 to 24 giving birth was down by two percent from 2023 to 2024, from 57.7 to 56.7 births. That rate for 25- to 29-year-olds increased by less than one percent in that year.

The number of births to women in their late 30s rose by three percent from 2023 to 2024, thanks in large part to advances in IVF access and technology. 

IVF births have risen steadily over the last two decades. In the US, about two to three percent of all births now involve IVF or another type of artificial reproductive technology.

Dr Grifo, who also practices privately at Inception Fertility in New York City, said: ‘It’s very clear that women are going to have babies older, and there are really good things about it. But [women’s] biological system is not designed for modern women.

Historically, women typically had children in their late teens or early twenties. Now, in just a few generations, the timeline has shifted dramatically — from starting families at 19 to 30, 40, or beyond, he said.

‘And that’s one of the reasons we’re so busy and why we’re freezing a lot of eggs these days. Because now our patients are starting their families in their 30s and having their babies in their 40s with the eggs they’ve frozen in their 30s. And it’s happening and accelerating quite significantly.’

The costs of living, childcare, and healthcare, as well as student debt, have also disincentivized many from having children, who now believe having a family may be financially out of reach.

In 2024, provisional birth rates were 5.3 births per 1,000 for teens aged 15–17 and 23.9 for those aged 18–19. Rates fell four percent and three percent from 2023, respectively, hitting record lows for both groups

And a growing number of people are opting not to have children or are delaying having them to prioritize their own well-being, thereby opening up more opportunities to travel, pursue new career paths, and enjoy greater personal freedom.

The CDC data also provided insight into rates of pre-term births – including any baby born before 36 weeks gestation – which held steady from 2023, making up about 10.4 percent of all births. 

The percentage of infants born preterm dropped eight percent from 2007 to 2014, then rose seven percent through 2019. It dipped one percent in 2020, climbed four percent in 2021, but held steady through 2024. 

From 2023 to 2024, the early preterm birth rate (under 34 weeks) declined slightly from 2.76 percent to 2.72 percent, while late preterm births (34–36 weeks) edged up from 7.64 percent to 7.69 percent. 

The late preterm rates (born at 34 to 36 weeks) for 2021 (7.67 percent), 2023 (7.65 percent) and 2024 (10.41) are the highest recorded since at least 2007. 

Older first-time mothers are also more likely to have complications requiring cesarean deliveries – prolonged labor, the baby being in breech position, having multiple pregnancies, or having dangerously high blood pressure – which involve surgically removing the infant from the uterus.

In 2024, the overall cesarean delivery rate increased to 32.4 percent, a slight rise from 32.3 percent in 2023.

After peaking at 32.9 percent in 2009, the rate steadily declined to 31.7 percent by 2019, but has increased almost every year since 2020. The 2024 figure represents the highest rate since 2013, at 32.7 percent.

Dr Grifo said: ‘The age of women does make you more likely to have dysfunctional labor and other problems in pregnancy – high blood pressure, diabetes – and those situations tend to increase C-section rates as well.

‘But fortunately, they’re safer than ever.’

He added: ‘There are things that can happen in a C-section that may impact the uterus, resulting in scarring, or things that might impact [future fertility].

‘But the reality is, that’s not something that you see. You recover quite well from it, and fertility is maintained in the vast majority of cases.’