The U.S. was once among only a few developed countries with a fertility rate that ensured each generation had enough children to replace itself. But it’s recently been sliding.
Officials think last year's uptick reflects births from pregnancies that had been put off during the uncertain early days of the pandemic. Deliveries were way down in January 2021, but improved as the year went on, said Brady Hamilton of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Much of the increase was seen in older moms.The report is based on a review of nearly all birth certificates issued last year.— Nearly 3.7 million births were reported last year, up from the roughly 3.
— Birth rates rose 1% for Hispanic women and 3% for white women. But they fell 1% for Asian women, 3% for Black women, and 4% Native American and Alaska Native women. That may reflect the pandemic's harsher impact on the health and lives of some racial groups, experts said. —The percentage of infants born small and premature — at less than 37 weeks — rose 4%, to about 10.5%. It was the highest it’s been since 2007.