This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

fact-checked

trusted source

proofread

Report: New York's fertility rate drops, average age of mothers rises

New York's fertility rate drops, average age of mothers rises
Credit: Seung Yeon Kim/Cornell University

A decline in New York's childbirth rate is showing no sign of reversing and many women are waiting longer to have children, according to newly compiled data from the Program in Applied Demographics (PAD) in the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy.

In 2021, about 211,000 babies were born in New York. In 2011, that number was 241,000.

New York state's total —the average number of births a woman would have in her lifetime if current patterns continue—has dropped from 1.85 in 2009 to 1.55 in 2021. (This type of fertility rate is most useful for comparing trends across time because its calculation considers fertility patterns by age.)

The 2021 TFR for New York is below the U.S. average of 1.71, and far below the 2.1 "replacement" rate—the point at which a developed country's population rate would neither rise nor decline. Replacement level varies by area and can be higher or lower than the theoretical 2.1, depending on mortality and migration.

Women who do have babies are waiting until later in life. The average age of first birth for New York was 28.9 in 2021, more than a year older than the average age in 2011 (27.2). The fertility rate has increased significantly for women 35-44 but not enough to offset the decline in childbirths by .

"Other states in the Northeast are also facing declining fertility and an , which has many implications for policy and infrastructure," said PAD researcher Leslie Reynolds. "But since New York has an especially unique and diverse state geography, also paying attention to local and county trends and using them to inform policies is vital."

In addition to the declining birth rate, other findings include:

  • The TFR is highest for women who live in Rockland, Jefferson and Orange counties and lowest for women in Otsego, New York City (Manhattan) and Tompkins counties.
  • 65% of the households with babies were led by opposite sex, . 17% were , 13% were cohabiting couples of any sex, and 5% were single fathers. As the children grew to toddler stage and beyond, the number of married couples fell and the percentage of single moms increased.
  • There were about 4,270 more boys than girls born in 2021.
  • Liam, Noah and Olivia were the most popular baby names in 2020.

PAD assembled the fertility statistics from several sources, including some that have not been previously reported, such as changes in fertility rates by age over the past two decades. They were compiled in PAD's most recent Tidbit: Topics in Demography, a series of briefs on New York population dynamics.

Provided by Cornell University
Citation: Report: New York's fertility rate drops, average age of mothers rises (2023, May 8) retrieved 23 June 2024 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-05-york-fertility-average-age-mothers.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Explore further

Births registered in US increased 1 percent from 2020 to 2021

2 shares

Feedback to editors