A recent analysis of 2023 birth certificate data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed a significant slowdown in the pace of babies born in the United States, reaching a new record low. The findings, published on Thursday, marked the end of a brief surge in new births that had occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the CDC report, approximately 3,591,328 babies were born in the U.S. in 2023, indicating a 2% decrease from the 3,667,758 births recorded in 2022. This decline aligns with the annual decreases observed prior to the pandemic, averaging around 2% fewer births each year.
The shift towards fewer births had already been hinted at in the preceding years. In 2022, there was a slight decrease in births compared to 2021, though the drop was not initially deemed statistically significant by agency officials.
Brady Hamilton, one of the authors of the CDC report, highlighted the magnitude of the decline, stating, "Last year, the difference was very small. This year, it's something on the order of 74,000 or thereabouts. So it's fairly large."
While nearly all registered births have been accounted for, the report's estimates remain provisional until all data is finalized. The CDC gathers this information from state and local authorities throughout the year, allowing for a comprehensive overview of birth trends.
Commenting on the same, Elon Musk stated on social media platform 'X' that, "While many other countries are worse, America is trending towards extinction!"
The total fertility rate for 2023 stood at 1,616.5 births per 1,000 women in the U.S. This figure indicates the average number of births per woman over their lifetimes if current rates persist. Maintaining a rate of 2,100 births per 1,000 women, equivalent to an average of 2.1 children per woman, is crucial for sustaining the population. However, the U.S. has consistently fallen short of this threshold since 1971.
Despite the overall decline, there was a slight increase of 1% in births among Hispanic women in 2023. However, birth rates across age groups remained stagnant or decreased, with the exception of a slight flattening of the once-declining teen birth rates.
Cesarean delivery rates, on the other hand, saw a rise in 2023, accounting for 32.4% of all births compared to 32.1% in 2022. This marks the fourth consecutive increase in cesarean deliveries since 2009. Particularly noteworthy is the increase in cesarean rates among Black mothers, reaching 37% in 2023.
The report also noted a rise in cesarean deliveries among low-risk births, defined as head-first births of single babies at full term to first-time mothers. This increase, up to 26.6%, represents the highest rate since 2013.
