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* Births per 1,000 females in specified age group.

† Data for 2010 are preliminary.

U.S. teen birth rates declined to historic lows for all age groups in 2010. The rate for teens aged 15–19 years fell 62% from 1960, when the birth rate was 89.1 per 1,000 women, and 44% from a rate of 61.8 in 1991 to 34.3 in 2010. Most of the decline in birth rates for teens occurred from 1960 to 1980 and then again after 1991. Decreases in birth rates for teens aged 18–19 years generally were greater than the decreases for teens aged 15–17 years from 1960 through 1978. From 1991 to 2010, decreases in birth rates for teens aged 15–17 years were greater.

Source: Hamilton BE, Ventura SJ. Birth rates for U.S. teenagers reach historic lows for all age and ethnic groups. NCHS data brief, no 89. Hyattsville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, National Center for Health Statistics; 2012. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db89.htm.

Reported by: Stephanie J. Ventura, MA, sventura@cdc.gov; Brady E. Hamilton, PhD, bhamilton@cdc.gov.

Alternate Text: The figure above shows birth rates for teens aged 15-19 years, by age group, in the United States during 1960-2010. U.S. teen birth rates declined to historic lows for all age groups in 2010. The rate for teens aged 15-19 years fell 62% from 1960, when the birth rate was 89.1 per 1,000 women and 44% from a rate of 61.8 in 1991 to 34.3 in 2010. Most of the decline in birth rates for teens occurred from 1960 to 1980 and then again after 1991. Decreases in birth rates for teens aged 18-19 years generally were greater than the decreases for teens aged 15-17 years from 1960 to 1978. From 1991 to 2010, decreases in birth rates for teens aged 15-17 years were greater.