US births rise for the first time in seven years in 2021

The number of births in the United States grew 1% in 2021 from a pandemic-related low in 2020, marking the first increase since 2014, according to a report by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The report said that 3,659,289 babies were born last year, with the increase driven by women between 25 and 49 years. Women aged 35 to 39 accounted for the biggest rise, while the birth rate among teenagers hit a record low.

Americans had the lowest number of babies in more than four decades in 2020.

The CDC analysed birth records, which it received for the twelve months of 2021 as of February 10, 2022. The records represent nearly all of registered births occurring in the country last year, the agency said.

For the 35-39 age group, there were 54.2 births per 1,000 women last year, compared to 51.8 per 1000 women in 2020.

Among teenagers aged between 15 and 19 years, there were 146,756 births, down 7% from 2020. The birth rate in that group has fallen each year since 2007.

Reuters