Birth rates shift for Georgia women over 30
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
On average, moms are 29.1 years old in Georgia when they give birth — up from 26.9 in 2003, according to provisional CDC data.
Why it matters: Increased access to fertility treatments and reliable birth control are helping more women delay parenthood, but there are still some obstacles to getting pregnant later in life.
The big picture: Nationally, the birth rate for teenagers and women in their early 20s dropped to record lows in 2024, as the birth rate for women over 30 rose, per the CDC data.
- And women aged 30-34 had a higher birth rate (95.4 births per 1,000 women) than those in their late 20s (91.4).
State of play: "Fertility declines with age, but 35 is not a cliff by any stretch," Emily Oster, an economist and bestselling author of pregnancy and parenting books, tells Axios.
- "Plenty of people have kids in their late 30s, but it might take a little more work and you might want to be thoughtful about your timing," says Oster, who recently launched a "trying to conceive" (TTC) section on her ParentData website.
Between the lines: Knowing about fertility barriers ahead of TTC could encourage hopeful older parents to address a medical issue and perhaps freeze eggs for IVF early on — giving them a better shot at pregnancy.
- It remains unclear whether access to IVF will be affected by recent reproductive health funding cuts and legislative battles.
Yes, but: Even with new fertility technology and planning ahead, infertility can't always be overcome.
Read more: What Oster says about fertility roadblocks / Pregnancy after age 35 can have benefits