Record low births in 2018

Only 3,788,235 babies were born in the U.S. in 2018. That's the fewest babies since 32 years ago in 1986. Except for a small increase in 2014, the number of births has fallen in every year since 2007. The number of 2018 births was 12% less than in 2007.

If babies had continued to be born at the 2007 rate, today there would be 5.8 million more children than there currently are.

Every state with the exception of North Dakota and Washington D.C. has experienced a decline. New Mexico experienced the greatest percent decline of one quarter (24.9%) and California has the largest number decline of births of 111,888.

The declining birth rate has resulted in more childless women. Since 2000, the percent of women age 15-44 who are childless has grown from 43% to 50%. Childlessness has grown the most of women in their twenties. This is also attributable to women delaying the age when they have children.