NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. births fell last year, resuming a long national slide.
A little under 3.6 million babies were born in 2023, according to provisional statistics released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s about 76,000 fewer than the year before and the lowest one-year tally since 1979.
U.S. births were slipping for more than a decade before COVID-19 hit, then dropped 4% from 2019 to 2020. They ticked up for two straight years after that, an increase experts attributed, in part, to pregnancies that couples had put off amid the pandemic’s early days.
But “the 2023 numbers seem to indicate that bump is over and we’re back to the trends we were in before,” said Nicholas Mark, a University of Wisconsin researcher who studies how social policy and other factors influence health and fertility.
Birth rates have long been falling for teenagers and younger women, but rising for women in their 30s and 40s — a reflection of women pursuing education and careers before trying to start families, experts say. But last year, birth rates fell for all women younger than 40, and were flat for women in their 40s.
Playoff hopes fading for troubled Crusaders in Super Rugby Pacific
China's tourism industry witnesses surge in run
Nadal confirms comeback at Barcelona Open
Shandong city seeks to capitalize on barbecue fame
Biden pardons 11 people and shortens the sentences of 5 others convicted of non
Deep sea expedition uncovers more than 50 never
Chinese tourists flock to savor trendy immersive experiences
Atletico dealt Depay injury blow for Dortmund clash
US growth likely slowed last quarter but still pointed to a solid economy
Fire rages through Copenhagen's historic stock exchange, spire collapses
Biden administration is announcing plans for up to 12 lease sales for offshore wind energy
Chongqing springs to life on summer nights