The latest report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the general fertility rate for women fell by 1% to a new record low in 2025. “Certainly the 6% decline in the birthrate for women age 20 to 24 is noteworthy,” said Brady Hamilton. Meanwhile, the latest CDC data shows a small but significant increase in older women, ages 30 to 45, who are choosing to become pregnant. Harris said the high cost of raising a child convinced her that one is enough.
WinstonNPR reports a record low in the United States: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found women's overall fertility rate fell one percent in twenty twenty-five.
AsherFor women aged twenty to twenty-four, was the birthrate decline also one percent?
WinstonSix percent. Report co-author Brady Hamilton called that decline noteworthy.
AsherThat's a bigger decline, but for a specific age group. What does the report show for women at older ages?
WinstonThe latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows a small but significant increase in women aged thirty to forty-five who are choosing to become pregnant.
AsherSo the findings aren't all moving downward. The younger group's figure concerns birthrate; the older group's finding concerns women choosing to become pregnant.
WinstonHarris, quoted by NPR about the cost of raising a child, says that expense convinced her that one is enough.
AsherCost matters in her account. That's an individual explanation, alongside national findings: a record-low overall rate, but contrasting changes for those younger and older groups.
Tip jar