American birth rate drops to lowest point ever… and 40 per cent of newborns are to unwed mothers
Daily Mail Reporter
- Per cent of babies born to unmarried women was highest among teens
- There were 3,953,593 births in the U.S. in 2011, one per cent less than 2010
- More older women having newborns as women delay families
The birth rate in the United States dropped to an all-time low in 2011 with one percent fewer births than in the year before, according to a report released this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
And of all the babies born last year, more than 40 per cent were born to unmarried women.
The per cent of babies born to unmarried women was highest among teens but the per cent delivered by unmarried women of older ages increased from 2010 to 2011.
Dropped: The U.S. birth rate dropped one per cent from 2010 to 2011, the lowest ever recorded
Findings are based on approximately 100 per cent of registered vital records occurring in calendar year 2011, which were received and processed by the National Center for Health Statistics, the report said.
The 2011 preliminary number of U.S. births was 3,953,593 – one per cent less than 2010.
Rates varied depending on the woman’s background.
There was a steep drop in births for women 15-19 years old where the rate declined from 34. 2 per cent to 31.3 per cent, while in 20 to 24 year old the decline was from 90.0 to 85.3 per cent.
Where's daddy: Single mothers gave birth to more than 40 per cent of newborns last year
Older groups held steady with only a small decline from 108.3 to 107.2 per cent for ages 25 to 29 and a steady 96.5 per cent from year to year for those age 30-34.
Researcher said the data shows women are choosing to have family later in life, and rates among older women actually increased.
Births declined fro most race and Hispanic origin groups and the birth rate declined for Hispanic, non-Hispanic, black and American Indian and Alaskan native women.