U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Center for Health Statistics

NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 258 ■ September 2016

Births in the United States, 2015

Joyce A. Martin, M.P.H, Brady E. Hamilton, Ph.D., and Michelle J.K. Osterman, M.H.S.

Key findings

Data from the National 

Vital Statistics System

● There were 3.978 million 

births in the United States in 

2015, down less than 1% from 

2014. 

● The 2015 U.S. general 

fertility rate (births per 1,000 

women aged 15–44) was down 

1% from 2014. 

● Birth rates dropped in 2015 

to record lows among women 

under age 30 and rose for those 

aged 30–44.

● The cesarean delivery rate 

declined to 32.0% of births in 

2015; the preterm birth rate 

rose slightly to 9.63% from 

2014 to 2015. 

This report presents several key demographic and maternal and infant health 

indicators using 2015 final birth data. Trends in general fertility rates, 

age-specific birth rates, cesarean and low-risk cesarean delivery, and preterm 

birth rates are presented. Data are from the national vital statistics birth files. 

Keywords: fertility rates • cesarean delivery • preterm births • National Vital 

Statistics System

The number and rate of births declined in the United States 

in 2015.

● The number of U.S. births declined less than 1% from 2014 to 2015, to 

3,978,497. This decline followed an increase in births for 2014, the first 

increase since 2007 (Figure 1).

NOTES: Differences in number of births are significant from 2007 to 2015 and 2014 to 2015 for each race and Hispanic origin 

group (p < 0.05) except for the difference for non-Hispanic black women from 2014 to 2015. Differences in general fertility rates 

are significant for all race and Hispanic origin groups from 2007 to 2015 and 2014 to 2015 (p < 0.05). Access data table for 

Figure 1 at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db258_table.pdf#1. 

SOURCE: NCHS, National Vital Statistics System, Natality.

Figure 1. Live births and general fertility rates, by race and Hispanic origin of mother: 

United States, 2007 and 2013–2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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● From 2014 to 2015, the number of births for non-Hispanic white women declined 1%, 

whereas the number of births for Hispanic women rose 1%, and births to non-Hispanic 

black women were essentially unchanged. 

● The number of births per 1,000 women aged 15–44, or the general fertility rate, declined 1% 

in 2015 to 62.5 from 62.9 in 2014. The general fertility rate is down 10% since 2007.

● The general fertility rate declined less than 1% for non-Hispanic white women and 1% for 

both non-Hispanic black and Hispanic women from 2014. Rates are down for all groups 

from 2007.

Birth rates declined for women under age 30 and rose for women aged 

30–44 in 2015.

● Teen birth rates fell 8% to 22.3 births per 1,000 women, rates for women aged 20–24 fell 

3% to 76.8, and rates for women aged 25–29 declined 1% to 104.3 (Figure 2). 

● The birth rate for teenagers declined 46% since 2007, when a brief uptick was observed for 

this age group.

● In contrast, birth rates for women aged 30–44 rose from 2014 to 2015. Rates rose 1% to 

101.5 births per 1,000 women aged 30–34, 2% to 51.8 births for women aged 35–39, and 

4% to 11.0 births for women aged 40–44.

Figure 2. Birth rates, by age of mother: United States, 2007, 2014, and 2015

NOTES: For each age group, differences are significant from 2007 to 2014, 2007 to 2015, and 2014 to 2015 (p < 0.05). Access data table for Figure 2 at: 

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db258_table.pdf#2.

SOURCE: NCHS, National Vital Statistics System, Natality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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● Since 2007, the largest increase was for mothers aged 40–44, up 15% compared with rises 

of 9% for women aged 35–39 and 1% for women aged 30–34.

Overall and low-risk cesarean delivery rates declined for the third year in a 

row in 2015.

● From 2014 to 2015, the overall cesarean delivery rate declined 1%, from 32.2% to 32.0%. 

The low-risk cesarean delivery rate also declined 1%, from 26.0% to 25.8% from 2014 to 

2015 (Figure 3).

● The overall cesarean delivery rate was down 3% from the peak in 2009 (32.9%), and the 

low-risk cesarean delivery rate declined 8% from the 2009 peak (28.0%).

Figure 3. Cesarean delivery and low-risk cesarean delivery rates: United States, 2009, 2014, and 2015 

NOTES: Differences are significant for each measure for all years (p < 0.05 ). The low-risk cesarean delivery rate is defined as singleton, term (37 or more weeks 

of gestation based on obstetric estimate), vertex (not breech) cesarean deliveries to women having a first birth per 100 women delivering singleton, term, and 

vertex first births. Access data table for Figure 3 at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db258_table.pdf#3.

SOURCE: NCHS, National Vital Statistics System, Natality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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The preterm birth rate increased in the United States in 2015.

● The U.S. preterm birth rate rose slightly in 2015 to 9.63%, from 9.57% in 2014. The preterm 

birth rate had declined 8% from 2007 (10.44%), the most recent year for which comparable 

data are available, to 2014 (Figure 4). 

● The early preterm rate was essentially unchanged at 2.76% in 2015, but the rate of late 

preterm newborns rose, from 6.82% to 6.87% from 2014 to 2015.

● Increases in preterm birth rates from 2014 to 2015 were observed for infants born to 

non-Hispanic black (13.23% to 13.41%) and Hispanic (9.03% to 9.14%) women; the rate 

for non-Hispanic white women was essentially stable at 8.88% in 2015 compared with 

8.91% in 2014. 

● Preterm birth rates declined 10% from 2007 to 2014 for non-Hispanic white and 

non-Hispanic black infants and 3% for Hispanic infants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 4. Preterm birth rates, by race and Hispanic origin of mother: United States, 2007, 2014, and 2015

1

Significantly higher than rate for 2014 (p < 0.05).

NOTES: For all births and for each race and Hispanic origin group, the difference in rates from 2007 to 2015 is significant (p < 0.05). Gestational age is based on 

the obstetric estimate of gestation. Access data table for Figure 4 at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db258_table.pdf#4. 

SOURCE: NCHS, National Vital Statistics System, Natality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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Summary

Following modest increases in 2014, the number and rate of births declined in the United States 

in 2015, reverting to downward trends that were observed from 2007 through 2013. Birth rates 

were down from 2014 to 2015 to records lows among women under age 30, but rates continued 

to rise for women aged 30–44, continuing trends observed for three decades (1). Fertility rates 

were down for each race and Hispanic origin group in 2015. Total and low-risk cesarean delivery 

rates continued to decline in 2015, but the preterm birth rate rose for the first year since 2007, 

when national data first became available for this measure (2). An earlier report presented 2015 

preliminary data on selected topics (3). The upcoming report “Births: Final Data for 2015” will 

present more detailed information on the topics addressed in this report and selected others (4). 

Definitions

General fertility rate: Number of births per 1,000 women aged 15–44.

Age-specific birth rate: Number of births per 1,000 women in a specified age group.

Cesarean delivery rate: Number of births delivered by cesarean per 100 births.

Low-risk cesarean delivery rate: Number of term (37 or more completed weeks), singleton, vertex 

(not breech) first births delivered by cesarean per 100 term, singleton, and vertex first births.

Preterm birth rate: Births delivered prior to 37 completed weeks of gestation per 100 births. 

Gestational age is based on the obstetric estimate of gestation (2).

Early preterm birth rate: Births delivered prior to 34 completed weeks of gestation per 100 births.

Late preterm birth rate: Births delivered 34–36 completed weeks of gestation per 100 births.

Data source and methods

This report contains data from the Natality Data File from the National Vital Statistics System. 

The vital statistics natality file is based on information derived from birth certificates and includes 

information for all births occurring in the United States. This data brief accompanies the release 

of the 2015 natality public-use file (5). More detailed analysis of the topics presented in this 

report and many additional topics—such as births to unmarried women, prenatal care, tobacco 

use during pregnancy, source of payment for delivery, pregnancy risk factors, maternal morbidity, 

multiple births, and breastfeeding—are available by accessing the annual natality files (5). 

Data are not presented in this report for women aged 45 and over. For 2015 information on this 

age group, see “Births: Final Data for 2015” (4).

References to increases or decreases in rates indicate differences are statistically significant at the 

0.05 level. Computations exclude records for which information is unknown. 
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 258 ■ September 2016

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About the authors

Joyce A. Martin, Brady E. Hamilton, and Michelle J.K. Osterman are with the National Center for 

Health Statistics, Division of Vital Statistics, Reproductive Statistics Branch.

References

1. Hamilton BE, Martin JA, Osterman MJK, et al. Births: Final data for 2014. National vital 

statistics reports; vol 64 no 12. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2015. 

Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_12.pdf. 

2. Martin JA, Osterman MJK, Kirmeyer SE, Gregory ECW. Measuring gestational age in vital 

statistics data: Transitioning to the obstetric estimate. National vital statistics reports; vol 64 

no 5. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2015. Available from: https://www.

cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_05.pdf. 

3. Hamilton BE, Martin JA, Osterman MJK. Births: Preliminary data for 2015. National vital 

statistics reports; vol 65 no 3. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2016. 

Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr65/nvsr65_03.pdf. 

4. Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Osterman MJK, et al. Births: Final data for 2015. National vital 

statistics reports. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. [Forthcoming].

5. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital statistics data available online: Natality public use 

file and CD-ROM. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. Published annually. 

Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data_access/VitalStatsOnline.htm.
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 258 ■ September 2016

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NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 258 ■ September 2016

Suggested citation

Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Osterman MJK. 

Births in the United States, 2015. NCHS 

data brief, no 258. Hyattsville, MD: National 

Center for Health Statistics. 2016.

Copyright information

All material appearing in this report is in 

the public domain and may be reproduced 

or copied without permission; citation as to 

source, however, is appreciated.

National Center for Health 

Statistics

Charles J. Rothwell, M.S., M.B.A., Director

Jennifer H. Madans, Ph.D., Associate 

Director for Science

Division of Vital Statistics

Delton Atkinson, M.P.H., M.P.H., P.M.P., 

Director

Hanyu Ni, Ph.D., M.P.H., Associate Director 

for Science 

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