U.S. Births Increase by 1% in 2024

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For Immediate Release: April 23, 2025

Contact: CDC, National Center for Health Statistics, Office of Communication (301) 458-4800
E-mail: paoquery@cdc.gov

According to data released today by CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, the number of births in the United States and the general fertility rate increased in 2024.

The new report, “Births: Provisional Data for 2024,” analyzes data from more than 99% of birth certificates for births occurring last year. The report shows the number of births increased by 1% from 2023, with 3,622,673 births recorded in 2024. This drove a less than 1% increase in the general fertility rate (54.6 births per 1,000 females ages 15–44 in 2024).

Other findings in the new report:

  • 2024 birth rates by age of mother
    • decreased for females ages 15-24
    • increased for women ages 25-44 years
    • were unchanged for females ages 10–14 and 45-49
  • The birth rate for teenagers ages 15–19 was down 3% in 2024 to 12.7 births per 1,000 women, another record low.
  • The birth rate for women ages 20–24 (56.7) declined to another record low.
  • The birth rate for women ages 40–44 increased 2%—the rate has risen almost continuously in this age group since 1985.
  • The cesarean delivery rate increased to 32.4% in 2024—the low-risk cesarean delivery rate was unchanged at 26.6%.
  • The preterm birth rate was unchanged at 10.41%.

The report will be available on the NCHS website at www.cdc.gov/nchs.