For the first time ever in U.S. history, more babies were born to women aged 40 and over than to teen mothers, according to fresh data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This milestone highlights a continuing trend: Americans are having fewer children and delaying parenthood much later in life.

The total number of births in the U.S. has dropped by 14% from 1990 to 2023. Most striking is the dramatic 73% decrease in birth rates among females under 20, plunging the teen birth rate to just one in 25 births in 2023 from one in 8 in 1990. Women aged 20-24 and 25-29 also saw sizeable declines of 44% and 23%, respectively.

Meanwhile, women in their 30s and beyond are bucking the trend. Births among those 30-34 rose by 24%, and women between 35 and 39 experienced an eye-popping 90% increase. But the showstopper is the over-40 crowd, who clocked a staggering 193% surge in births over the same period, capturing 4.1% of all births in 2023 versus just 1.2% in 1990.

Women aged 30 or older accounted for over half (51.4%) of all births last year, flipping the distribution from 30 years ago, when under-30 mothers dominated with nearly 70% of births. Clearly, motherhood isn’t tied to age in the way it used to be.

The CDC credits advancements in contraception and assisted reproductive technologies (ART) for this shift, expanding reproductive autonomy. Dr. Ashley Wiltshire from Columbia University Fertility Center notes that these medical breakthroughs are empowering women—whether delaying childbearing for personal reasons, seeking parenthood solo or in same-sex relationships, or addressing medical concerns.

Egg freezing and embryo banking have exploded in popularity among women in their late 20s and 30s, significantly boosting chances of conception later in life. Donor egg treatments are also common, dramatically improving live birth outcomes for older women.

While the ongoing drop in overall birth rates means fewer young moms, this new landscape reflects a broader redefinition of parenthood timelines—something our grandparents’ generation might have found quite surprising. So next time someone rolls their eyes at “older moms,” remind them how progress and technology have reshaped families in ways no one could have predicted just a few decades ago.

Reproductive Health News

Historic Shift: More Babies Born to Women Over 40 Than Teens in the US