Fewer teenagers are giving birth than ever, says a new government report about fertility in the United States.
The report, released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that the number of births among females between the ages of 15-19 fell 7% in 2018, to a record low of 179,871 babies born to teenagers. The trend mirrors lower births overall, even though births did tick up just slightly in 2018 for women in their 30s and 40s.

The report showed that the birth rate among teenagers declined in 38 states. The drop ranged from 19% in Montana to 4% in Indiana, Michigan, and Missouri. In the remaining 12 states and Washington, D.C., birth rates remained steady.
The latest report is part of a longer-term trend among teenagers, whose birth rate has been falling steadily overall since the 1990s. The data is consistent with other studies in recent years that indicate teenagers are engaging less in risky behavior: They’re not only less likely to have sex at a young age than their parents’ generation, but they’re also less likely to do drugs, drink alcohol, or smoke cigarettes.
Lower teenage births also follow changes in policy, including a provision in Obamacare, started in 2012, that forces insurers to cover all forms of birth control, from the pill to emergency contraception and intrauterine devices, without directly charging patients. The Trump administration changed the rules to let some employers opt out if they have religious or moral exemptions to birth control, but the move has faced court challenges.
The data among teenagers reflect a larger trend among women of childbearing age, showing that fertility rates are down overall, dropping 2% in 2018. It’s typical to see birth rates drop during economic turmoil, such as the Great Recession, but the latest data out indicate that birth rates are not rebounding even with an improved economy under President Trump.
Economists worry about birth rates dropping too low, to the point where there are not enough babies born to replace the workforce and to help pay into programs that will fund the long-term care needs of an aging population.
The data also suggests that some women are waiting until they are older to have children. The report found, for instance, that at least 959 women older than 50 gave birth in 2018.
In all, 3.79 million babies were born in 2018. The number of births has declined since 2007, with just a small increase in 2014 before falling.