A newly released federal report on final 2024 birth data shows that the U.S. fertility rate fell to its lowest level on record, even as the total number of births increased slightly from the previous year.

The report, Births: Final Data for 2024, was published by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics on June 9, 2026, and is based on all birth certificates recorded nationwide.

The report found that 3,628,934 babies were born in the United States in 2024, a 1% increase from 2023. However, the nation’s total fertility rate declined to approximately 1.6 births per woman, a record low. Birth rates declined among women ages 15–34, while birth rates increased among women ages 40–44, continuing the trend toward later childbearing.

The data also showed that 75.5% of mothers began prenatal care in the first trimester, a decline from the previous year. Meanwhile, the preterm birth rate remained above 10%, with 10.41% of babies born before 37 weeks, and 8.52% of infants were born with low birthweight. Cesarean deliveries increased slightly to 32.4% of all births.

The report also found continued declines in multiple births, with the twin birth rate falling to 30.1 per 1,000 births and triplet and higher-order births declining as well.

The full report is available here.