May 15, 2024 - Health

Minnesotans are having fewer babies, new data show

Illustration of a woman's hand holding a stork and baby. — Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios

Fewer babies were born in Minnesota in 2023 than the previous year, suggesting a mini-baby boom tied to the pandemic has ended.

Why it matters: Nationally, the U.S. fertility rate is now at its lowest point in nearly a century — which points to the risk of long-term problems in elder care, the labor force, and education funding.

By the numbers: In Minnesota, 61,715 babies were born last year, according to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That total represents an 8% decline in total births compared to 2018.
Stateline found that Minnesota saw the biggest percentage-point dropoff in births between 2022 and 2023 of any Midwest state.

Zoom in: Big-city school systems like Minneapolis say a shrinking child-age population is sapping the district's enrollment, and, therefore, funding.

Go deeper: Births dropped in 2023, ending pandemic baby boom

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Minnesotans are having fewer babies, new data show

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