US Teen Birth Rate Falls to Lowest Level Ever

After falling to what was then a record low in 2002, the teen birth rate in the United States fell to its lowest level ever in 2005, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

According to the report "Births: Preliminary Data for 2005," the birth rate for U.S. teenagers aged 15-19 fell 2 percent, to 40.4 births per 1,000 - a 35 percent decrease from the peak of 61.8 births per 1,000 in 1991.

The most pronounced decline was among non-Hispanic black teens ages 15-17. This groups birth rate fell 6 percent in 2005 compared to 2004 and 59 percent since 1991.

The total number of births in the U.S. increased by 1 percent in 2005 to 4,140,419. There were 421,123 births to females under age 20 in 2005.

In 2002, the overall U.S. birth rate among women of all ages fell to an all-time low of 13.9 births per 1,000 persons, down from 14.1 births per 1,000 persons in 2001 and down a full 17 percent from the recent peak of 16.7 births per 1,000 persons set in 1990.

Also See: U.S. Birth Rate Hits All-Time Low