Birth rate by family income in the U.S. 2021

In 2021, the birth rate in the United States was highest in families that had under 10,000 U.S. dollars in income per year, at 62.75 births per 1,000 women. As the income scale increases, the birth rate decreases, with families making 200,000 U.S. dollars or more per year having the second-lowest birth rate, at 47.57 births per 1,000 women.

Income and the birth rate

Income and high birth rates are strongly linked, not just in the United States, but around the world. Women in lower income brackets tend to have higher birth rates across the board. There are many factors at play in birth rates, such as the education level of the mother, ethnicity of the mother, and even where someone lives.

The fertility rate in the United States

The fertility rate in the United States has declined in recent years, and it seems that more and more women are waiting longer to begin having children. Studies have shown that the average age of the mother at the birth of their first child in the United States was 27.4 years old, although this figure varies for different ethnic origins.

Birth rate in the United States in 2021, by household income

Annual Household Income in U.S. dollars	Number of births per 1,000 women
Under 10,000	62.75
10,000-14,999	52.31
15,000-24,999	56.41
25,000-34,999	58.82
35,000-49,999	52.69
50,000-74,999	53.04
75,000-99,999	52.69
100,000-149,999	49.86
150,000-199,999	46.46
200,000 or more	47.57

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Release date

January 2024

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Region

United States

Survey time period

2021

Supplementary notes

Since the number of women who had a birth during the 12-month period was tabulated and not the actual numbers of births, some small underestimation of fertility for this period may exist due to the omission of: (1) Multiple births, (2) Two or more live births spaced within the 12-month period (the woman is counted only once), (3) Women who had births in the period and who did not survive to the survey date, (4) Women who were in institutions and therefore not in the survey universe. These losses may be somewhat offset by the inclusion in the Current Population Survey of births to immigrants who did not have their children born in the United States and births to nonresident women. These births would not have been recorded in the vital registration system.

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