US fertility rate dropped to another record low in 2025 | CNN

The fertility rate in the United States has been trending down for decades, and new federal data shows that another drop last year brought the rate down to the lowest on record. About 3.6 million babies were born in the US in 2025, according to provisional data published Thursday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 53 births for every 1,000 women of reproductive age. That rate is down about 1% from 2024 and nearly 20% lower than it was two decades ago. A pronatalist movement has gained momentum under the Trump administration, buoyed by policy moves geared toward encouraging people to have more children. Experts generally agree that a falling fertility rate can have real consequences – particularly related to the economy – but say it’s important to understand the reasons behind the decline before trying to change it. “Instead of targeting the rate itself, we should frame it as a person-forward approach,” said Dr. Alison Gemmill, an associate professor of epidemiology at the UCLA School of Public Health whose research focuses on US fertility patterns and other reproductive health topics. “Our world and our lives are complex,” she said. “There a