Year: 2026
Type: report
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Introduction: This report presents 2025 data on U.S. births compared with 2024 data for several key demographic and maternal and infant characteristics. Methods: Descriptive tabulations of data reported on the birth certificates of the 3.612 million births that occurred in 2025 are presented. Data are presented for the number of births, the general fertility rate, age-specific fertility rates for females ages 10-49, the rate of prenatal care beginning in the first trimester by age of mother, and the cesarean delivery rate by age of mother. Data for 2025 are compared with data for 2024. Key Findings: A total of 3,612,012 births were registered in the United States in 2025, a decrease of less than 1% from 2024. The general fertility rate decreased 1% in 2025 to 53.2 births per 1,000 females ages 15-44. Fertility rates decreased for females ages 10-14, 15-19 (7%), 20-24 (6%), and 25-29 (4%), increased for women ages 30-34 (3%), 35-39 (2%), and 40-44 (1%) and was unchanged for women ages 45-49 from 2024 to 2025. The percentage of mothers receiving prenatal care in the first trimester of pregnancy increased to 76.3 in 2025, with the percentage increasing among all maternal age groups under 40. The cesarean delivery rate remained unchanged at 32.4% for both 2024 and 2025, with the rate decreasing for mothers ages 20-24 and 25-29.
DOI: 10.15620/cdc/252470
Authors: Brady Hamilton, Michelle Osterman
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W7214740474