Charted: Big declines in teen births
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Teen birth rates in the United States have continued to decline significantly across the board since 2000, but racial and ethnic disparities still exist, federal data released Wednesday shows.
Why it matters: Decreasing teen births can positively affect adolescents' physical and mental health, lifetime income and education attainment, according to research organization Child Trends.
- Black, Native American and Hispanic teenagers of any race still had higher birth rates in 2022 than white, non-Hispanic teens, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
- Yes, but: Hispanic teens saw the steepest declines in teen birth rates between 2000 and 2022, according to the data.
By the numbers: The overall birth rate for 15- to 19-year-olds in the U.S. declined 71% between 2000 and 2022.
- The total population of teenage girls in the U.S. increased 7% during the same time.
Additionally, there was an 80% decline in the rate of teens with one or more births after their first child.
- Research shows that having a second child as a teenager makes it even harder for parents to finish school, and can increase the risk of poverty and adverse outcomes for children, CDC said.
Between the lines: The decline in teen births stems from less sexual activity among teen girls and increased use of contraception among sexually active teenagers, according to the CDC.
