U.S. birth rate drops to record low, but older women are having more babies

CDC data shows the U.S. general fertility rate fell 1% in 2025 to a record low, continuing a two-decade decline. Births dropped sharply among women in their teens and twenties, while women ages 30 to 45 saw a small but significant increase. The article cites financial costs, career priorities, and changing preferences, and notes consequences including a shrinking child population and a rising median age.