Teen Birth Trends: In Brief
September 1, 2022
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the federal government’s lead public
health agency, has identified teen pregnancy as a major public health issue because of its high
Jessica Tollestrup
cost for families of teenage parents and society more broadly. The CDC highlights that the teen
Specialist in Social Policy
pregnancy rate has decreased steadily, dropping below CDC’s target goal of 30.3 per 1,000

females aged 15 to 17 by 2015; however, the CDC also raises the concern that the United States
has one of the highest rates of teen births of all industrialized countries.

This report discusses trends in teen birth rates—or the number of births per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19 each year—since the
1950s. The rate of teen births peaked in 1957 at 96.3. It then decreased in most years from the 1960s through the 1980s. From
1991 onward, the rate declined except in two years, 2006 and 2007. The greatest decline in teen birth rates has occurred in
recent years. For example, from 2007 to 2020, the rate declined by approximately 63%. The 2020 teen birth rate of 15.4 was
a historical low since CDC began collecting and reporting birth data in the 1940s.
In nearly each year from 1991 through the recent period, the teen birth rate decreased for all racial and ethnic groups;
however, the rates declined more for certain groups than others. In 2020, non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native
(25.7), non-Hispanic Black (24.4), Hispanic (23.5), and non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (22.6) teens
had more than double the teen birth rate than non-Hispanic White (10.4) and more than nine times the rate of non-Hispanic
Asian (2.3) teens. From 2016 to 2020, birth rates fell by 41% for non-Hispanic Asian teens, 27% for non-Hispanic White
teens, 27% for non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native teens, 26% for Hispanic teens, 21% for non-Hispanic Native
Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander teens, and 17% non-Hispanic Black teens.
Teen birth rates have varied considerably by state and territory. In 2020, the state with the lowest reported rate was
Massachusetts (6.1); the state with the highest reported rate was Mississippi (27.9). Teen birth rates have declined in rural
areas over time but remain relatively higher than rates in urban areas.
Research suggests that multiple trends have led to lower U.S. teen pregnancy and birth rates. From the 1990s through 2014,
the risk of teen pregnancy decreased primarily because of improved contraceptive use, including an increase in the use of
certain contraception methods (e.g., condoms), an increase in the use of multiple methods of contraception, and substantial
declines in foregoing the use of contraception altogether. Some of the risk of pregnancy during this period decreased among
younger teens because of decreased sexual activity. Broad economic and social variables may influence teen behaviors, such
as whether they will abstain from sex or use contraceptives.
Teen pregnancy has high costs for teen parents, their children, and society more generally. Teenage mothers and fathers tend
to have less education and are more likely to live in poverty than their peers who are not parents. Moreover, lower levels of
education reduce teen parents’ potential for economic self-sufficiency. Some analysis has looked at these societal impacts and
the benefits of avoiding pregnancy during the teen years.
This report accompanies CRS Report R45183, Teen Pregnancy: Federal Prevention Programs, which discusses Congress’s
current approach of supporting programs that seek to prevent pregnancy among teens; and CRS In Focus IF10877, Federal
Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs, which includes summary information about the programs.
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Teen Birth Trends: In Brief

Introduction
This report provides context for Congress about the U.S. teen birth rate—or the number of births
per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19 each year—and its changes since the 1950s. Over this period, the
teen birth rate has generally been in decline. This decline has been most significant in recent
years, with the rate reaching a record low in 2020 (most recent year available). Multiple factors
have likely contributed to the decrease, though the influence of any single factor is not fully
known. Reduced teen sexual activity, particularly among younger adolescents, could be one
explanation. Increases in use of contraceptives, including highly effective and multiple methods,
among sexually active teens could be another. Other factors, such as broader social and economic
trends, may also be at play.
Despite the decline in the teen birth rate, Congress continues to be interested in the issue of teen
birth because of its high social and economic costs for both individual families and society more
generally.1 Further, disparities persist in teen birth rates among racial and ethnic subgroups and
across states.
This report accompanies CRS Report R45183, Teen Pregnancy: Federal Prevention Programs,
which discusses Congress’s current approach of supporting programs that seek to prevent
pregnancy among teens.
Teen Births in the United States
Data on births are distinct from data on pregnancies. The teen birth rate refers to the number of
live births per 1,000 teen girls aged 15 through 19. The teen pregnancy rate includes the number
of pregnancies per 1,000 teen girls aged 15 through 19, which encompasses live births, abortions,
and fetal losses. Birth data account for nearly every birth in the United States, whereas pregnancy
data are based on estimates of miscarriages and abortion numbers that draw on various reporting
systems and surveys. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the federal
government’s lead public health agency, reports birth data on an annual basis (most recently for
2020). The CDC and the Guttmacher Institute publish teen pregnancy rates. These rates may not
be available for more recent years because of the time required to incorporate data from the
various data sources.2

1 Urban Institute, Kids Having Kids: Costs and Social Consequences of Teen Pregnancy, edited by Saul D. Hoffman
and Rebecca A. Maynard, 2nd ed., 2008. (Hereinafter, Urban Institute, Kids Having Kids: Costs and Social
Consequences of Teen Pregnancy.) See also, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), CDC, Winnable
Battles Final Report 2010-2015, https://www.cdc.gov/winnablebattles/index.html.
2 Power to Decide (formerly The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy), “National Data,”
https://powertodecide.org/what-we-do/information/national-state-data/national. The most recent pregnancy data were
reported by the Guttmacher Institute, an organization that is committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health
and rights in the United States; in 2017, an estimated 319,490 teens aged 15 to 19 became pregnant. Of these
pregnancies, there were 78,390 legal abortions and 194,377 births. (Included in the total pregnancies are miscarriages,
ectopic pregnancies, and still births, but a tabulation of these is not presented by this source.) In 2017, there were 14
pregnancies per 1,000 women aged 15–17 (down from a peak of 75 in 1989), and 57 pregnancies per 1,000 women
aged 18–19 (down from a peak of 175 in 1991). Isaac Maddow-Zimet and Kathryn Kost, , Pregnancies, Births and
Abortions in the United States, 1973–2017: National and State Trends by Age, Guttmacher Institute, 2021. See also,
Sally C. Curtin et al., “Pregnancy Rates for U.S. Women Continue to Drop,” HHS, CDC, National Center for Health
Statistics (NCHS), no. 136, December 2013. This publication includes 2012 data.
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Teen Birth Trends: In Brief

This report focuses on the teen birth rate. The CDC tracks birth rates by age and other
characteristics of birth mothers. In 2020, there were approximately 3.6 million births in the
United States.3 About 158,000 of these births (4.4%) were to teenagers aged 15 to 19.4 Figure 1
shows the U.S. teen birth rate from 1950 through 2020 (the rate excludes the territories).
Figure 1. Teen Birth Rates, 1950-2020
Birth rate is per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19, (15 to 17 and 18 to 19 subgroup data
became available in 1960)

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Health Statistics
(NCHS), December 2016; and the fol owing: 1950-1959 data is from Stephanie J. Ventura et al., “Births to
Teenagers in the United States, 1940–2000,” National Vital Statistics Report, vol. 49, no. 10, September 2001,
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr49/nvsr49_10.pdf; 1960-2009 data is from Stephanie J. Ventura et al.,
“National and State Patterns of Teen Births in the United States, 1940–2013,” National Vital Statistics Report, vol.
63, no. 4, August 2014, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr63/nvsr63_04.pdf; 2010-2020 data is from
Michelle J.K. Osterman et al., “Births: Final Data for 2020,” HHS, CDC, NCHS, National Vital Statistics Report, vol.
70, no. 17, February 2022, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr70/nvsr70-17.pdf.

3 Table A-1 includes birth rates for teens since 1950. Michelle J.K. Osterman et al., “Births: Final Data for 2020,”
HHS, CDC, NCHS, National Vital Statistics Report, vol. 70, no. 17, February 2022 (Hereinafter, Michelle J.K.
Osterman et al., “Births: Final Data for 2020.”)
4 The CDC also tracks births for youth aged 10 to 14; however, their birth rate has been much lower than the rate of
births for older teens, and is therefore not included in this analysis. The birth rate was 0.2 births per 1,000 youth aged
10 to 14 in 2020.
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The rate ticked up in the baby boom era of the 1950s, peaking in 1957 at 96.3. It then decreased
in most years from the 1960s through the 1980s.5 From 1991 onward, the teen birth rate declined
except in two years, 2006 and 2007. The rate dropped by 75% from 1991 (61.8) to 2020 (15.4). In
other words, about 6% of teens aged 15 to 19 gave birth in 1991 compared to less than 2% in
2020.
The greatest decline in the teen birth rate occurred in recent years. For example, from 2007 to
2020, the rate declined by about 63%. The 2020 teen birth rate of 15.4 was a historical low since
CDC began collecting and reporting birth data in the 1940s. The CDC began tracking subgroup
data for teens in 1960, when the teen birth rate was highest for both teens aged 15 to 17 (43.9 per
1,000) and teens aged 18 to 19 (166.7 per 1,000). Figure 1 indicates that the birth rate was higher
in each year for the older teens compared to the younger teens. The 2020 birth rates for 15- to 17-
year-olds (6.3 per 1,000) and 18- to 19-year-olds (28.9 per 1,000) were the lowest on record.
Repeat teen births have also declined over time. CDC found the number of subsequent teen births
among teens aged 15 to 19 declined nationally by nearly 54% from 2004 to 2015 (the most recent
CDC time series analysis available).6 In 2020, the repeat teen birth rate (calculated as the sum of
teen birth rates for second and higher order births) was 2.2. The prevalence of repeat births was
highest among non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native teens (repeat teen birth rate of
4.2), followed by non-Hispanic Black (3.9) and Hispanic (3.5) teens.7 Teen mothers have also
been less likely to be married than in previous years. In 2020, the birth rate for unmarried teens
aged 15 to 19 was 14.4 per 1,000. This is compared to 31.1 per 1,000 in 2010.8
Despite the overall decline in the teen birth rate, the rates for certain racial and ethnic groups
remain relatively high. Teen birth rates in 2020 varied based on race and ethnicity, with four
groups—non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (25.7), non-Hispanic Black (24.4),
Hispanic (23.5), and non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (22.6) teens—
having more than double the teen birth rate for non-Hispanic White (10.4) and more than nine
times the rate for non-Hispanic Asian (2.3) teens.9
Figure 2 shows the teen birth rate by race and Hispanic origin over 2016, 2018, and 2020. From
2016 to 2020, the teen birth rate decreased for all racial and ethnic groups; however, the rates
declined more for certain groups compared to others.10 From 2016 to 2020, birth rates fell by 41%
for non-Hispanic Asian teens, 27% for non-Hispanic White teens, 27% for non-Hispanic
American Indian or Alaska Native teens, 26% for Hispanic teens, 21% for non-Hispanic Native
Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander teens, and 17% for non-Hispanic Black teens.

5 The baby boom era refers to individuals born in the U.S. between mid-1946 and mid-1964. Sandra L. Colby and
Jennifer M. Ortman, “The Baby Boom Cohort in the United States: 2012 to 2016, Population Estimates and
Projections,” Current Population Reports, CDC, May 2014.
6 Deborah L. Dee et al., “Trends in Repeat Birth and Use of Postpartum Contraception Among Teens – United States,
2004 – 2015,” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, April 28, 2017, vol., 66, no. 16. See Supplementary Table 1 for
information about changes in repeat births among teens aged 15 to 19 within each of the 50 states and the District of
Columbia.
7 Michelle J.K. Osterman et al., “Births: Final Data for 2020,” Table 5.
8 Michelle J.K. Osterman et al., “Births: Final Data for 2020,” Table 10.
9 Michelle J.K. Osterman et al., “Births: Final Data for 2020,” Table 2.
10 Ibid.
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Figure 2. Teen Birth Rates by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2016-2020
Birth rate is per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19 for each racial/ethnic group

Source: Michelle J.K. Osterman et al., “Births: Final Data for 2020,” HHS, CDC, NCHS, National Vital Statistics
Report, vol. 70, no. 17, February 2022, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr70/nvsr70-17.pdf.
Notes: NH = “Non-Hispanic.”
In 2020, the birth rate for teens aged 15 to 19 varied considerably by state and territory. The state
with the lowest reported rate was Massachusetts (6.1); the state with the highest reported rate was
Mississippi (27.9).
Figure 3 shows a map with 2020 teen birth rates in four data categories for the 50 states, the
District of Columbia, and four of the territories. Twenty-six states had rates of less than 15 per
1,000 teens aged 15 to 19.11 Four states had the highest teen birth rates (25 or higher):
Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. The rates for the territories ranged from 15.1 in
the U.S. Virgin Islands to 33.0 in Guam.12 From 2007 (when the birth rate last ticked up) to 2020,
the teen birth rate decreased in each state or territory by between 45% and 73%.13
Teen birth rates have also declined in rural areas over time but remain relatively higher than rates
in urban areas.14

11 Michelle J.K. Osterman et al., “Births: Final Data for 2020,” Table 8, HHS, CDC, NCHS, National Vital Statistics
Report, vol. 70, no. 17, February 7, 2022, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr70/nvsr70-17.pdf.
12 Michelle J.K. Osterman et al., “Births: Final Data for 2020,” Table 8. 2020 data are not reported for American Samoa
(2017 teen birth rate of 38.4), Joyce A. Martin et al., “Births: Final Data for 2017,” HHS, CDC, NCHS, National Vital
Statistics Report, vol. 67, no. 8, November 7, 2018.
13 This is based on a Congressional Research Service analysis comparing data from 2007 to 2020.
14 Brady E. Hamilton, Lauren M. Roseen, and Amy M. Branum, “Teen Birth Rates for Urban and Rural Areas in the
United States, 2007-2015,” HHS, CDC, NCHS, NCHS Data Brief, no. 264, November 2016; and April Sutton, Daniel
T. Lichter, and Sharon Sassler, “Rural–Urban Disparities in Pregnancy Intentions, Births, and Abortions Among US
Adolescent and Young Women, 1995–2017,” American Journal of Public Health, 109(12), December 2019, pp. 1762-
1769.
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Figure 3. Teen Birth Rates by State and Territory, 2020
Birth rate is per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19

Source: Table prepared by the Congressional Research Service based on Michelle J.K. Osterman et al., “Births:
Final Data for 2020,” Table 8, HHS, CDC, NCHS, National Vital Statistics Report, vol. 70, no. 17, February 7,
2022, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr70/nvsr70-17.pdf.
Notes: The national rate of teen births was 15.4 in 2020 (this rate does not include the territories). Data were
not available for American Samoa (2017 teen birth rate of 38.4).
While the U.S. teen birth rate has decreased over time, it has been higher than that of most other
industrialized countries.15 For comparison, the U.S. teen birth rate of 18.8 was about 50% higher
than the rate of the United Kingdom, 12.6, in 2017 (based on the most recent international data
available that includes the U.S. teen birthrate).16 The reasons for the high teen birth rate in the
United States relative to other industrial countries have not been fully explored. Economic
conditions and income inequality within and between countries may play a role.17 Further, the

15 Guttmacher Institute, “Teen Pregnancy Rates Declined in Many Countries between the Mid-1990s and 2011—
United States Lags Behind Many Other Developed Nations,” press release, January 23, 2015. See also Table 10 in
United Nations, Demographic Yearbook, 71st Ed., 2020.
16 United Nations, Statistics Division, “Demographic Yearbook 2020,” https://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic-social/
products/dyb/dyb_2020/. (See Table 10, “Live births by age of mother and sex of child, general and age-specific
fertility rates: latest available year, 2011 – 2020.”) See also, Gilda Sedgh et al., “Adolescent Pregnancy, Birth, and
Abortion Rates Across Countries: Levels and Trends,” Journal of Adolescent Health, vol. 56, no. 2 (February 2015), p.
228. (Hereinafter, Gilda Sedgh et al., “Adolescent Pregnancy, Birth, and Abortion Rates Across Countries: Levels and
Trends.”)
17 John S. Santelli, Vinit Sharma, and Russell Viner, “Inequality, National Wealth, Economic Development and Global
Trends in Teenage Birth Rates, 1990-2010,” Journal of Adolescent Health, vol. 52, no. 1 (February 2013); and Melissa
S. Kearney and Phillip B. Levine, “Why Is the Teen Birth Rate in the United States So High and Why Does It Matter?”
Journal of Economic Perspectives, Spring: 26(2), 2012, pp. 141-166. (Hereinafter, Melissa S. Kearney and Phillip B.
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research literature, which is somewhat limited, indicates that use of contraceptives among teens
appears to be greater in other developed countries compared to the United States.18
Factors Likely Contributing to the Declining Risk of
Teen Pregnancy
Researchers suggest that multiple factors have contributed to the decline in U.S. teen pregnancy
and teen birth rates over the 1990s and continuing through 2013.19 Over this period, some of the
risk of pregnancy decreased among younger teens (those ages 15 to 17) because of decreased
sexual activity.20 Another factor for more recent declines in the risk of teen pregnancy has been
improved contraceptive use, including an increase in the use of certain contraception methods
(e.g., condoms), an increase in the use of multiple methods of contraception, and substantial
declines in foregoing contraception.21 From 2007 through 2019, teens increased their
contraceptive use, including the use of any method, the use of long-acting reversible
contraceptives (LARCs; e.g., intrauterine devices, or IUDs, and birth control implants), and the
use of the withdrawal method along with another method.22
Broad economic and social variables may influence teen behaviors, such as whether they will
abstain from sex or use contraceptives.23 Behavioral changes may have been driven by a

Levine, “Why Is the Teen Birth Rate in the United States So High and Why Does It Matter?”); and John S. Santelli et
al., “Global Trends in Adolescent Fertility, 1990–2012, in Relation to National Wealth, Income Inequalities, and
Educational Expenditures,” Journal of Adolescent Health, vol. 60, no. 2 (February 2017), pp. 161-168.
18 Melissa S. Kearney and Phillip B. Levine, “Why Is the Teen Birth Rate in the United States So High and Why Does
It Matter?” See also, Gilda Sedgh et al., “Adolescent Pregnancy, Birth, and Abortion Rates Across Countries: Levels
and Trends;” Rachel H. Scott, Kaye Willings, and Laura Lindberg, “Adolescent Sexual Activity, Contraceptive Use,
and Pregnancy in Britain and the U.S.: A Multidecade Comparison,” Journal of Adolescent Health, vol. 66, no. 5 (May
2020), pp. 582-588.
19 Heather D. Boonstra, “What is Behind the Declines in Teen Pregnancy Rates?” Guttmacher Policy Review, vol. 17,
issue 3, September 3, 2014, https://www.guttmacher.org/gpr/2014/09/what-behind-declines-teen-pregnancy-rates; and
HHS, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of Population Affairs, “Trends in Teen Pregnancy and
Childbearing,” https://opa.hhs.gov/adolescent-health/reproductive-health-and-teen-pregnancy/trends-teen-pregnancy-
and-childbearing.
20 John S. Santelli et al., “Explaining Recent Declines in Adolescent Pregnancy in the United States: the Contribution
of Abstinence and Improve Contraceptive Use,” American Journal of Public Health, vol., 97, no. 5, 2007; and HHS,
Office on Women’s Health, “Decrease in Teen Pregnancy,” December 17, 2020, https://www.womenshealth.gov/30-
achievements/09.
21 The risk of pregnancy is an index that calculates factors such as sexual activity, contraceptive use, and efficacy and
failure of specific contraceptives. Jacqueline E. Darroch and Susheela Singh, Why Is Teenage Pregnancy Declining?
The Roles of Abstinence, Sexual Activity and Contraceptive Use, The Guttmacher Institute, Occasional Report, 1999;
John S. Santelli et al., “Can Changes in Sexual Behaviors Among High School Students Explain the Decline in Teen
Pregnancy Rates in the 1990s?,” Society for Adolescent Medicine, vol. 35, no. 2 (August 2004); and John S. Santelli et
al., “Explaining Recent Declines in Adolescent Pregnancy in the United States: the Contribution of Abstinence and
Improve Contraceptive Use,” American Journal of Public Health, vol., 97, no. 5, 2007
22 Ibid. See also, Heather D. Boonstra, “What Is Behind the Declines in Teen Pregnancy Rates?” Guttmacher Policy
Review, vol. 17, no. 3, September 3, 2014. (Hereinafter, Heather D. Boonstra, “What Is Behind the Declines in Teen
Pregnancy Rates?”) For more recent data, from 2019, see Leigh E. Szucs et al., “Condom and Contraceptive Use
Among Sexually Active High School Students—Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2019,” HHS, CDC,
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Supplements, vol 69, no. 1 (August 2020), pp. 11-18.
23 Heather D. Boonstra, “What Is Behind the Declines in Teen Pregnancy Rates?” and Melissa S. Kearney and Phillip
B. Levine, “Investigating Recent Trends in the U.S. Teen Birth Rate.” Melissa S. Kearney and Phillip B. Levine,
“Investigating Recent Trends in the U.S. Teen Birth Rate,” Journal of Health Economics, vol., 41, 2015. See also,
Sarah Kliff, “The Mystery of the Falling Teen Birth Rate,” Vox, January 21, 2015. (Hereinafter, Sarah Kliff, “The
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confluence of factors, such as expanded educational and labor market opportunities for women
and improvements in contraceptive technology.24 Some observers theorize that the long-term
downward trend in teen birth rates is attributable to the recession that began in 2007. They
contend that during economic downturns the decrease in teen births—like the decrease in overall
births—is partly due to teenagers being more careful as they witness the economic difficulties
faced by their families.25 Despite this rationale, the teen birth rate continued to diminish after the
recession (as well as during periods of economic expansion in the 1990s).26
Some observers contend that teen pregnancy prevention programs, such as those supported with
federal funding, could potentially play a role in the declining birth rate for teenagers.27 However,
the extent to which these programs have caused a decline in the teen birth rate is not fully
known.28
Financial and Social Costs of Teen Births
Teen pregnancy has high costs for the families of teen parents and society more generally.29
Teenage mothers and fathers tend to have less education and are more likely to live in poverty
than their peers who are not teen parents. For example, approximately 90% of women who do not
give birth during adolescence graduate from high school, whereas about 50% of teen mothers
receive a high school diploma by 22 years of age.30 In addition, according to the HHS Office of
Population Affairs, adolescents who have children before turning 20 (compared to older parents)
are
 more likely to need public assistance;
 more likely to have low income as adults, and as a result; and
 more likely to have children who face challenges like poorer educational,
behavioral, and health outcomes.31
Lower levels of education reduce teen parents’ potential for economic self-sufficiency. At the
same time, being impoverished and having less education can also increase the likelihood of teens
becoming pregnant in the first place.32 These poorer outcomes may be explained in part by
underlying differences between those who give birth as teens and those who delay childbearing:
teen mothers often come from more disadvantaged backgrounds (e.g., family more likely to
receive public welfare benefits, parents have lower levels of education) than their counterparts

Mystery of the Falling Teen Birth Rate.”)
24 Melissa S. Kearney and Phillip B. Levine, “Investigating Recent Trends in the U.S. Teen Birth Rate,” Journal of
Health Economics, vol., 41, 2015.
25 Sarah Kliff, “The Mystery of the Falling Teen Birth Rate.”
26 Melissa S. Kearney, Phillip B. Levine, and Luke Pardue, “The Puzzle of Falling U.S. Birth Rates since the Great
Recession,” Journal of Economic Perspectives, vol. 36, no. 1 (Winter 2022), pp. 151-176.
27 See CRS Report R45183, Teen Pregnancy: Federal Prevention Programs for further information about current
programs that are federally funded.
28 Sarah Kliff, “The Mystery of the Falling Teen Birth Rate” and Heather D. Boonstra, “What Is Behind the Declines in
Teen Pregnancy Rates?”
29 HHS, CDC, Winnable Battles Final Report.
30 HHS, CDC, “About Teen Pregnancy,” November 15, 2021, https://www.cdc.gov/teenpregnancy/about/index.htm.
31 HHS, OPA, OASH, “About Teen Pregnancy and Childbearing,” https://opa.hhs.gov/adolescent-health/reproductive-
health-and-teen-pregnancy/about-teen-pregnancy-and-childbearing.
32 Urban Institute, Kids Having Kids: Costs and Social Consequences of Teen Pregnancy.
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who have children at a later age.33 In addition, teen sexual activity even among those who do not
become pregnant can increase the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which can led to
long-term health issues. Adolescents aged 15 to 19 have certain STIs at a rate that is among the
highest of sexually active individuals.34
Further, teen childbearing can also affect the offspring of teen parents. Children of teenage
mothers have poorer outcomes than children of mothers who give birth in their early 20s or later.
They are generally more likely to (1) have chronic medical conditions, (2) use public health care,
(3) have lower school readiness scores, (4) do poorly in school, (5) give birth during their teen
years (females), and (6) be incarcerated (males).35 In addition to the consequences for teens and
their families, teen childbearing has societal impacts.
One study examined these societal impacts, specifically estimating the cost savings to public
programs that were associated with avoiding unintended pregnancies during the teen years. The
Power to Decide36 did a simulation analysis to estimate the number of births to teenagers that had
been averted due to the decrease in teen fertility rates from 1991 to 2015. The analysis then
estimated total savings of $4.4 billion for this period, taking into consideration the cost savings to
Medicaid that would have been associated with labor and delivery, postpartum care for the
mother, and infant care; and receipt of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF),
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Special Supplemental Nutrition
Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits. Additional research of decreased or
delayed teenage pregnancy and childbearing could help to inform the impacts for teen parents,
their children, and society more generally.37

33 Melissa S. Kearney and Phillip B. Levine, “Why Is the Teen Birth Rate in the United States So High and Why Does
It Matter?”; and Urban Institute, Kids Having Kids: Costs and Social Consequences of Teen Pregnancy.
34 HHS, CDC, Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2016, September 2017.
35 Emily Holcombe, Kristen Peterson, and Jennifer Manlove, Ten Reasons to Still Keep the Focus on Teen
Childbearing, Child Trends, March 2009; Urban Institute, Kids Having Kids: Costs and Social Consequences of Teen
Pregnancy; and Stefanie Mollborn, “Teenage Mothers Today: What we Know and How it Matters,” Child
Development Perspectives, vol. 11, no. 1 (March 2017), pp. 63-69. See also Anna Aizer, Paul Devereux, and Kjell
Salvanes, “Grandparents, Moms, or Dads? Why children of teen mothers do worse in life,” Journal of Human
Resources (November 2020), pp. 1019-1052.
36 The Power to Decide is a Washington, DC-based organization that promotes that all young people have access to the
sexual health information, reproductive health services, and sense of possibility that they need to decide if, when, and
under what circumstances to get pregnant and have a child. The Power to Decide, Progress Pays Off Savings Fact
Sheet, https://powertodecide.org/sites/default/files/media/savings-fact-sheet-national.pdf.
37 Kelleen Kaye and Alison Ng, Estimating the State and National Savings Associated with Declines in Teen
Childbearing, Power to Decide, January 2018. The decrease in teen births is based on the additional number of teen
births estimated to have occurred in 2015 if the teen birth rate remained the same as in 1991.
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Appendix. Additional Data on Teen Pregnancy
Table A-1. Teen Birth Rates, 1950-2020
Birth rate is per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19
Year
Birth Rate
Year
Birth Rate
Year
Birth Rate
1950
81.6
1974
57.5
1998
50.3
1951
87.6
1975
55.6
1999
48.8
1952
86.1
1976
52.8
2000
47.7
1953
88.2
1977
52.8
2001
45.0
1954
90.6
1978
51.5
2002
42.6
1955
90.3
1979
52.3
2003
41.1
1956
94.6
1980
53.0
2004
40.5
1957
96.3
1981
52.2
2005
39.7
1958
91.4
1982
52.4
2006
41.1
1959
89.1
1983
51.4
2007
41.5
1960
89.1
1984
50.6
2008
40.2
1961
88.6
1985
51.0
2009
37.9
1962
81.4
1986
50.2
2010
34.2
1963
76.7
1987
50.6
2011
31.3
1964
73.1
1988
53.0
2012
29.4
1965
70.5
1989
57.3
2013
26.5
1966
70.3
1990
59.9
2014
24.2
1967
67.5
1991
61.8
2015
22.3
1968
65.6
1992
60.3
2016
20.3
1969
65.5
1993
59.0
2017
18.8
1970
68.3
1994
58.2
2018
17.4
1971
64.5
1995
56.0
2019
16.7
1972
61.7
1996
53.5
2020
15.4
1973
59.3
1997
51.3

Source: Table prepared by the Congressional Research Service based on data from the Department of Health
and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics.

Congressional Research Service

9

Teen Birth Trends: In Brief

Author Information

Jessica Tollestrup

Specialist in Social Policy

Acknowledgments
This report was originally authored by Adrienne Fernandes-Alcantara, former CRS Specialist in Social
Policy. Isaac Nicchitta and Sylvia Bryan, CRS Research Assistants, and Angela Napili, CRS Senior
Research Librarian, provided invaluable support and editorial comments on the report.

Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan
shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and
under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other
than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in
connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not
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Congressional Research Service
R45184 · VERSION 5 · UPDATED
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