"U.S. births fell a little in 2025, according to newly posted provisional data. Slightly over 3.6 million births have been reported through birth certificates, or about 24,000 fewer than in 2024. The decline seems to confirm predictions by some experts, who doubted a 22,250-birth increase in 2024 marked the start of an upward trend. The posted numbers account for nearly all of the babies born in 2025, according to the CDC."
"The posted numbers account for nearly all of the babies born in 2025, according to the CDC. Data is still being compiled and analyzed, but the final tally might only add "a few thousand additional births," said Robert Anderson, who oversees birth and death tracking at the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. Experts say people are marrying later and also worry about their ability to have the money, health insurance and other resources needed to raise children in a stable environment."
"For example, although births increased in 2024 over the year before, the fertility rate actually fell, noted Karen Guzzo, a family demographer at the University of North Carolina. The fertility rate is a statistic describing whether each generation has enough children to replace itself - about 2.1 kids per woman. It has been sliding in America for close to two decades as more women wait longer to have children or don't have kids at all."
Provisional data show slightly more than 3.6 million births in 2025, about 24,000 fewer than in 2024. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention filled in missing months and reported numbers that account for nearly all 2025 births, with final adjustments expected to add only a few thousand. Contributing factors include later marriages and concerns about money, health insurance and other resources for raising children. Policy steps were taken to encourage births, including expanded IVF access and proposed baby bonuses. Birth counts are available now, but birth rates and demographic details remain pending.
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