Post-Covid 'baby boom' increased US births in 2021 for 1st time in 7 years: CDC ... trends now
The US birth rate increased slightly during the Covid pandemic, new official figures show — reversing a worrying seven-year trend.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data, 3,664,292 babies were born in 2021, a one percent jump from the 3,613,647 born in 2020.
The small increase was driven by a rise in older moms having children - with increases in birth rates among women aged 30 to 45 significantly rising in recent years.
While the number of children born last year was still lower than the 2019 figure, the year-on-year increase ended a downward trend that began in 2014.
The US birth rate increased by 1 percent in 2021, up to 11 births per every 1,000 women between ages 15 and 44. This is the first rise since 2014 but still a significant drop from the rate of 13 per 1,000 birthing age women recorded in 2010
Utah and North Dakota at the most fertile states in America, being the only ones where more than 13 births were recorded for every 1,000 birthing aged women. The states with the lowest overall fertility rates were concentrated in the Northeast region
Experts had warned that if the trend was not reversed, America's declining fertility could lead to systems like Medicare and social security being overwhelmed.
Women in their 30s fueled the increase in 2021. Births by women between ages 30 and 34 increased three percent, from 94.9 out of 1,000 women in the age group in 2020 to 97.6 in 2021.
For those aged 35 to 39, there was a five percent increase from 51.3 to 53.7 births per 1,000 women.
There was also an increase among women in their 40s - jumping from 11.8 per 1,000 women in 2020 to 12 in 2021.
Experts point to women having more money11332037 available to raise a family during the pandemic after stimulus checks and generous unemployment benefits.
Lockdowns and work from home orders also allowed many expecting mothers to spend more time resting at home - and meant they could spend more time with children after giving birth.
The rise in births in America was largely fueled by women 30 and older deciding to have kids. Births increased three percent among women30 to 34, and five percent for women in the second half of their 30s
When Covid first began, many believed that lockdowns, fear of the virus and other measures that kept people inside would lead to more children being conceived.
Restrictions related to the virus in the US began in March 2020. Because there are nine months on average between conception and birth, 2021 data is the first to reflect the impact the pandemic had on birth rates.
In a report published Tuesday, CDC researchers revealed final birth counts in the US. Provisional data was
