3 days ago
Average Age Of US Women Giving Birth Increases To Nearly 30: CDC
The average age of women giving birth in the United States is now close to 30 years, with the percentage of first births falling among young females, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a June 13 National Vital Statistics report.
The mean age at birth for all mothers increased from 28.7 in 2016 to 29.6 in 2023, according to the report. For first births, the average age rose from 26.6 years to 27.5 during this period.
The percentage of first births rose by 12.6 percent in women aged 30-34 and by 25 percent for women aged 35 and above.
In contrast, the percentage of first births among women aged 20-24 declined by 9 percent, and for those younger than 20 by 26 percent.
'Higher maternal age is linked to smaller family size on average and may carry different health risks and benefits compared with younger maternal age,' the CDC said.
'The findings of this analysis suggest that U.S. women may be continuing to delay motherhood,' it added. 'Motherhood is increasingly delayed across most races and Hispanic-origin groups.'
Asian mothers saw the largest increase in average age at first birth of 1.4 years. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander mothers had the smallest increase at 0.4 years.
A 2023 study published by PubMed Central showed that women were delaying childbearing due to factors such as education, participation in the labor market, and shifting personal preferences.
'Access to safe, efficient, and reversible pregnancy prevention methods' has also contributed to delayed childbearing in women, it said.
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