CDC: U.S. births fall 2 percent in 2018 to 32-year low

U.S. birth rates declined for the fourth consecutive year with only 3.78 million babies born in 2018, the fewest in over three decades, according to a report released this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The general fertility rate dropped to a record low 59 births per 1,000 women aged 15-44. Teen birth rates continue to fall – down 7 percent from 2017 – as do rates for women in their 20s and 30s. Birth rates for women in their early 40s rose by 2 percent last year, consistent with a trend dating back to 1982.