Recent Trends in Births and Fertility Rates Through June 2010

by Paul D. Sutton, Ph.D., Division of Vital Statistics

PDF Version (67 KB)

The provisional count of births in the United States for the 12-month period ending with June 2010 fell 3 percent to 4,055,000 from the provisional count for the 12-month period ending with June 2009 (1). This continues a decline in the number of births from an all-time high of 4,316,233 in 2007 (2).

The provisional fertility rate for the 12-month period ending with June 2010 also fell 3 percent to 65.5 births per 1,000 women aged 15–44 from the provisional rate for the 12-month period ending June 2009 (see Figure) ( 1). This continues a decline in the fertility rate from a 17-year high of 69.5 in 2007 ( 2).

Data sources and methods

Provisional counts and rates are based on 12 months of provisional data ending with the specified month. Provisional counts are rounded to the nearest thousand. For further information about provisional data see Births, Marriages, Divorces, and Deaths: Provisional Data for 2009 (3). Data for 2009 are preliminary. For more information about preliminary birth data see Births: Preliminary Data for 2009 [PDF – 455 KB] (2). Data for years prior to 2009 are final. For more information about final birth data see Births: Final Data for 2008 [PDF – 1.6 MB] (4).

References

1. National Center for Health Statistics. Provisional monthly and 12-month ending number of live births, deaths, and infant deaths and rates: United States, January 2009–December 2010 [PDF – 74 KB]. Internet Table.
2. Hamilton BE, Martin JA, Ventura SJ. Births: Preliminary Data for 2009 [PDF – 455 KB] . National vital statistics reports; vol 59, no 3. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2010.
3. Tejada-Vera B, Sutton PD. Births, Marriages, Divorces, and Deaths: Provisional Data for 2009 . National vital statistics reports; vol 58, no 25. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2010.
4. Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Sutton PD, et al. Births: Final Data for 2008 [PDF – 1.6 MB] . National vital statistics reports; vol 59, no 1. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2010.

Figures