Data from a new study published by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics shows that the number of births in the U.S. has continued to drop, continuing a trend spanning the last five decades. Researchers found that 52 percent of women between the ages of 15 to 44 gave birth between 2015 to 2019, compared to 55 percent in the four years prior. The number of men who had fathered a child also dropped from 44 to 40 percent in that time frame. Explanations for these declines include women obtaining higher levels of education and pursuing their careers, changing family values, relationship instability, and financial concerns. The number of women who have their first child at age 35 or older continues to increase. In fact, the number of women who wait until age 35 or later to have a baby has increased nine-fold compared to 50 years ago. Surprisingly, though, nearly half of women under age 45 are childless.
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