The number of babies born in the United States declined again last year, extending a long-term trend that has reshaped how Americans think about family planning, work and the cost of raising children. New federal data show that births and fertility both slipped in 2025, reaching historic lows.

The latest provisional figures from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that about 3.6 million babies were born in 2025, down 1% from the year before. According to CNN, the general fertility rate also fell 1% to 53.1 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44, the lowest level since the government began tracking the data.

One of the clearest shifts is that women are increasingly having children later in life. Birth rates among women in their 30s and early 40s have edged up over the past decade, but those gains have not been enough to offset the sharper decline among women under 30. Last year, the birth rate for women aged 25 to 29 fell 4.4%, while women aged 30 to 34 saw a 2.7% increase.

Teen birth rates also continued to fall. The birth rate for girls aged 18 to 19 dropped 7%, while the rate for those aged 15 to 17 fell 11%, both setting new record lows. Public health experts say this reflects broader access to contraception and changing attitudes toward family timing.

Experts say the decline is linked to a mix of economic pressure, housing costs, delayed marriage, work demands and changing expectations around parenting. While fewer births can ease some short-term household pressures, the long-term trend may affect labor supply, economic growth and population aging in the years ahead.