The median age at first birth for American women rose from age 21.8 in 1960 and age 22.3 in 1975, to age 23.5 in 1980. The generation following the baby boom waited even longer to enter motherhood. The average age at first birth rose to 24.3 by 1998. The share of women not having any children rose, while the share having more than three children dwindled, which helped keep the TFR around 2.0. 7 Educational attainment has a significant influence on how many children women have.
Women tend to delay childbirth until they have completed their education.
This delay reduces the number of potential years in which women can become pregnant. Also, the more education women have, the more likely they are to join the labor force and to start a career, which both delays and reduces their childbearing. The increasing educational attainment of the American population has contributed to its lowered fertility. 8 Differences in educational attainment also explain some of the difference in fertility among women of different racial and ethnic origins. Hispanics, for example, have the lowest average educational attainment and the highest average fertility of U.S. racial and ethnic groups.