The Hispanic and black teen birth rate has dropped by nearly 50 percent from 2006, mirroring a more than 40 percent drop for whites, according to new federal data.
From 2006-14, the birth rate for teens age 15-19 fell 41 percent overall from 41 per 1,000 females to 24, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The greatest decline was for Hispanics, whose rate dropped by 51 percent, and then blacks with 44 percent.
The rate for white teens declined by 35 percent from 2006 to 2014, the CDC said.
While the gap between the birth rate for Hispanics and blacks compared to whites shrank, the rate remains “twice as high” for black and Hispanic teens nationwide than whites, according to the CDC.
CDC’s report found that in some states, the birth rates among Hispanic and black teens were “more than three times as high as those of whites.” The highest birth rates appeared to be clustered in southern and southwestern states.
The agency noted a link between higher unemployment and lower income and education rates and the highest teen birth rates, regardless of race.
The report analyzed national and state level statistics for teens age 15-19 from 2006 to 2014. The CDC also looked at county-level data from 2013 and 2014.
The data can help to inform how to target teen pregnancy prevention measures.
“These data underscore that the solution to our nation’s teen pregnancy problem is not going to be a one-size-fits-all — teen birth rates vary greatly across state lines and even within states,” said Lisa Romero, lead author of the study.
The CDC noted that teen births cost the U.S. about $9 billion in healthcare costs each year.
