BookmarkBookmarkTickBookmarkAddCheckBoxFilledCheckBoxCircleBumpCheckedFilledMedical

For the First Time, More Babies Are Born to Women Over 40 Than Teens

A new CDC report reveals a historic fertility shift—and it’s reshaping how, when and why families grow.
save article
profile picture of Wyndi Kappes
By Wyndi Kappes, Associate Editor
Published March 28, 2025
NEW!
woman in her 40s with positive pregnancy test
Image: Andrii Zastrozhnov | Shutterstock

For the first time in U.S. history, more babies are being born to women over 40 than to teenagers.

If that sounds like a big shift, it is. According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), teen births (births to women under 20) have been steadily declining for decades—dropping a whopping 73% since 1990. Meanwhile, births among women 40 and older have surged 193% during that same time. In 2023, 4.1% of all births were to women over 40, just edging out teen births at 4.0%.

The report also shows that the overall number of births in the U.S. is on the decline. Between 1990 and 2023, total births dropped by 14%, falling from over 4.1 million to just under 3.6 million. Much of that decline is tied to fewer young people having babies. Outside of a drop in teen births, births to women ages 20–24 dropped 44%, and those among women ages 25–29 declined by 23%.

At the same time, later in life motherhood is on the rise. Births to women ages 30–34 grew by 24% over that period, while births among women 35–39 nearly doubled with a 90% increase. As a result, the age distribution of parents has shifted significantly. All told, women 30 and older now account for just over half (51.4%) of all births—up from just 30.2% in 1990.

The data reflects what many families already know: There’s no one “right time” to have a baby. With more people focusing on education, careers, financial stability, and finding the right partner, the decision to start or grow a family is happening later—and that’s becoming increasingly common.

Advances in fertility treatments have also made later parenthood more possible than ever. And thanks to expanded prenatal care and ongoing research, healthcare providers are now better equipped to support healthy pregnancies at every age.

save article
Article removed.
Name added. View Your List
ADVERTISEMENT

Next on Your Reading List

father holding baby
A Dad and Doc on Navigating the Options as a Rainbow Family
By Mark P. Leondires, MD
black mother holding baby's hand at home
One Black Mom’s Inspiring Egg Donation Story
By Lauren Barth
couple at home with newborn baby
How Soon Can You Get Pregnant After Childbirth?
Medically Reviewed by Kendra Segura, MD
ADVERTISEMENT
happy lesbian couple sitting on couch at home
Ready to Expand Your Family? a Get-Started Guide for LGBTQ+ People
Medically Reviewed by Kendra Segura, MD
woman checking basal body temperature with thermometer and phone app
How Charting Your Basal Body Temperature Could Help You Conceive
Medically Reviewed by Kendra Segura, MD
woman holding ozempic injection
Ozempic Babies: Experts Weigh in on the Drug’s Effect on Fertility
By Wyndi Kappes
young woman writing in planner notebook to track ovulation and menstruation
Ovulation Symptoms: 9 Signs of Ovulation
Medically Reviewed by Kendra Segura, MD
ADVERTISEMENT
black woman talking to doctor in exam room
Why Black People Face Significant Barriers in Fertility Care
Medically Reviewed by Kendra Segura, MD
Best Basal Thermometers
Track Your Fertility Naturally With a Basal Thermometer
Medically Reviewed by Kendra Segura, MD
An employee at the clinic Eugin prepares a sample of sperm and an egg for the process of fertilization under the microscope on May 25, 2016 in Barcelona
The Future of IVG: What Is in Vitro Gametogenesis?
Medically Reviewed by Kendra Segura, MD
ADVERTISEMENT
young woman talking to gynecologist in exam room
What Happens at a Preconception Appointment?
Medically Reviewed by Kendra Segura, MD
young woman meeting with her doctor
Preconception 101: How to Prepare for Pregnancy
Medically Reviewed by Kendra Segura, MD
mother holding baby boy wearing blue hat
Is the Shettles Method Legit?
Medically Reviewed by Kendra Segura, MD
ADVERTISEMENT
woman sits on toilet in bathroom
How to Check Your Cervical Mucus to See if You’re Ovulating
Medically Reviewed by Kendra Segura, MD
bride and groom sitting at wedding table talking to friends
Vanessa Lachey's Love Is Blind Baby Comments Spark Discussion
By Wyndi Kappes
super close up of paris hilton at red carpet event in april 2022
Paris Hilton on Her 2003 Abortion & Starting a Family on Her Own Terms
By Wyndi Kappes
Adrienne Eliza Houghton attends as Glamour celebrates the 2022 Women of the Year Awards on November 01, 2022 in New York City
Adrienne Bailon Talks Dreams of Baby No. 2 After Surrogacy Journey
By Wyndi Kappes
ADVERTISEMENT
hand in medical glove opening liquid nitrogen tank where eggs are frozen
Freezing More Eggs, Younger, Could Up Chances for Baby by 31 Percent
By Wyndi Kappes
close up of couple holding hands while sitting on couch
Carter’s and Inception Fertility Are Giving Away a Free Fertility Package
By Wyndi Kappes
Deepica Mutyala smiling headshot
Deepica Mutyala on Taking Control of Her Reproductive Timeline
By Nehal Aggarwal
ADVERTISEMENT
Article removed.