US Fertility Rate Hits All-Time Low Amid Two-Decade Decline

The United States fertility rate has reached an all-time low, continuing a downward trend that has seen births drop by nearly 23 percent since 2007. According to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the 2025 rate stood at 53.1 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44, marking a one percent decrease from the previous year. Experts attribute this decline to socioeconomic pressures, including soaring costs of living, housing affordability issues, and expensive childcare, which can consume weeks of minimum-wage earnings. Additionally, shifting priorities among younger women and increased job market demands are cited as factors making parenthood less desirable. While President Donald Trump's administration has promoted pro-natalist policies and expanded IVF access, these efforts contrast with significant cuts to federal social programs and healthcare. The administration has suggested offloading responsibilities like daycare to states, while far-right politicians have linked falling birth rates to migration narratives.