Birth rates on the rise

Largest single year increase since 1989; most births since 1961

-- Kids Today, 6/1/2008 12:00:00 AM

Births in the U.S. rose by 3.1% between 2005 and 2006, reaching 4.27 million. That’s the largest single-year increase in the number of births since 1989 and the largest number of births since 1961. The figures are the latest preliminary estimates (based on 99.9% of data, so there should be few changes in the final report) from the National Center for Health Statistics, the official record keeper for births, deaths and all health-related statistics for the country.

Baby boomers’ children — variously called the Echo Boom or Generation Y — are now coming of age and forming families of their own, so this may be the beginning of a new boomlet.

The number of births rose for each race and Hispanic origin group in the United States. Numerically, the biggest increase in births was among Hispanic mothers — 53,546, bringing the total number of babies of Hispanic origin to 1.04 million, a 5% increase over 2005. Births among non-Hispanic black women increased by 6%, to 617,220. Births among non-Hispanic white women increased by 1% to 2.3 million.

Among the smaller population groups, American Indian and Alaskan native births increased by 6% to a total of 47,494, while Asian and Pacific Islander births increased by 4% to 239,829.

Overall, the birth rate (birth rates are defined as live births per 1,000 population in the specified group) rose to 14.2, an increase of 1% over last year’s 14.0. Birth rates increased for women in their 20s, 30s, and early 40s between 2005 and 2006, but varied by age. It was up

• 4% to 105.9 for women between 20-24

• 1% to 116.8 for women between 25-29

• 2% to 97.7 for women between 30-34

• 2% to 47.3 for women between 35-39

• 3% to 9.4 for women between 40-44

These were the highest birth rates for women in their 30s since 1964, the last year of the baby boom. It’s the highest birth rate for women in their early 40s since 1968.

It’s too soon to say there’s a trend back to larger families, but 2006 did see an increase in the number of second, third and fourth children born compared with 2005. Between 2005 and 2006, the rates for births to women aged 15–44 years increased for second-order births by 2%, third-order births by 3%, and fourth and higher order births by 4%.

	Birth rate 2006
Birth rate=live births per 1,000 population in each group. Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Preliminary data for
United States	14.2
Utah	21.0
Texas	17.0
Arizona	16.6
Idaho	16.5
Alaska	16.4
Nevada	16.1
Georgia	15.9
Mississippi	15.8
California	15.4
New Mexico	15.3
South Dakota	15.2
Nebraska	15.1
Oklahoma	15.1
Colorado	14.9
Wyoming	14.9
Hawaii	14.8
Kansas	14.8
Louisiana	14.8
District of Columbia	14.7
Arkansas	14.6
North Carolina	14.4
South Carolina	14.4

	2005	2006	% change
1. Excludes the territories. Race and Hispanic origin are determined by the race and origin of the mother. 2. Race and Hispanic origin are determined by the race and origin of the mother. Minorities are defined as anyone who is NOT a non-Hispanic white. 3. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race, it is not a racial designation. 4. Includes American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian and Pacific Islander. Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Preliminary data for 2006
Total1	4.14	4.27	3.1%
Non-minority2	2.28	2.31	1.3
Non-Hispanic Black3	0.58	0.62	5.7
Hispanic3	0.99	1.04	5.4
Other minority4	0.28	0.29	4.1

Source: National Center for Health Statistics.
Twins	133,122
Triplets	6,208
Quadruplets	418
Quintuplets or more	68

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Preliminary data for 2006
2nd	2%
3rd	3%
4th +	4%

		Minority %2
1. Excludes data for the territories. 2. Race and Hispanic origin are determined by the race and origin of the mother. Minorities are defined as anyone who is NOT a non-Hispanic white. Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Preliminary data for 2006
United States1	4,265,996	45.9%
Alabama	63,235	39.7
Alaska	10,991	42.8
Arizona	102,475	57.7
Arkansas	40,973	32.4
California	562,431	71.8
Colorado	70,750	40.5
Connecticut	41,807	38.7
Delaware	11,988	45.1
District of Columbia	8,529	74.9
Florida	236,882	54.6
Georgia	148,619	53.2
Hawaii	18,982	75.8
Idaho	24,184	19.4
Illinois	180,583	47.2
Indiana	88,674	23.3
Iowa	40,610	15.0
Kansas	40,964	27.6
Kentucky	58,291	15.5
Louisiana	63,399	43.9
Maine	14,151	6.0
Maryland	77,478	52.2
Massachusetts	77,769	30.9
Michigan	127,476	31.6
Minnesota	73,559	26.5
Mississippi	46,069	50.9
Missouri	81,388	23.7
Montana	12,506	21.5
Nebraska	26,733	25.3
Nevada	40,085	56.9
New Hampshire	14,380	10.7
New Jersey	115,006	50.5
New Mexico	29,937	71.3
New York	250,091	49.9
North Carolina	127,841	44.2
North Dakota	8,622	17.5
Ohio	150,590	23.0
Oklahoma	54,018	35.4
Oregon	48,717	30.5
Pennsylvania	149,082	27.8
Rhode Island	12,379	50.5
South Carolina	62,271	44.6
South Dakota	11,917	23.1
Tennessee	84,345	32.2
Texas	399,612	65.0
Utah	53,499	21.1
Vermont	6,509	4.8
Virginia	107,817	42.0
Washington	86,848	35.2
West Virginia	20,928	5.6
Wisconsin	72,335	24.6
Wyoming	7,670	18.9