Things are changing. For the past three decades, women in their late 20s had the highest birth rates, but that is no longer true. Now, women in their 30s are the biggest pregnant group in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—coming out ahead of their late-20s peers by just a smidge.
Why is this true? Well, it’s kind of common sense. Many women are waiting longer to have kids (which is due to an array of factors, like focusing on career, saving money in a less forgiving economy, etc). But this also due a decrease in teen birth rates. Here’s some of the study’s findings, according to Associated Press:
“— The overall birth rate was down slightly in 2016, to 62 births per 100,000 women ages 15 to 44.
— The average age when women have their first child is about 28.
— The teen birth rate continued to drop last year.
—The infant mortality rate stayed about the same.
The fact that the age to have your first child is changing is definitely an interesting trend to think about–especially considering this was not the case 50 years ago, when the average age was far lower.
