Birth rate vs. death rate in United States
United States: Birth rate vs. death rate was 10.65 births per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
10.65 births per 1,000 people
Change on year
down 3.0%
World rank
162nd
of 236 countries
All-time high
24.99 births per 1,000 people
in 1957
All-time low
10.65 births per 1,000 people
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Birth rate vs. death rate in United States, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per 1,000 people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for birth rate vs. death rate in United States is 10.65 births per 1,000 people, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.0% on the previous year and down 13.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, birth rate vs. death rate in United States peaked at 24.99 births per 1,000 people in 1957 and was at its lowest, 10.65 births per 1,000 people, in 2023.
United States ranks 162nd of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Birth rate vs. death rate in United States, year by year
| Year | births per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 23.98 births per 1,000 people | — |
| 1951 | 24.35 births per 1,000 people | +1.5% |
| 1952 | 24.56 births per 1,000 people | +0.9% |
| 1953 | 24.54 births per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1954 | 24.87 births per 1,000 people | +1.3% |
| 1955 | 24.64 births per 1,000 people | -0.9% |
| 1956 | 24.91 births per 1,000 people | +1.1% |
| 1957 | 24.99 births per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 1958 | 24.94 births per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1959 | 24.55 births per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 1960 | 24.25 births per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 1961 | 23.87 births per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 1962 | 22.86 births per 1,000 people | -4.2% |
| 1963 | 22.05 births per 1,000 people | -3.5% |
| 1964 | 21.4 births per 1,000 people | -3.0% |
| 1965 | 19.91 births per 1,000 people | -7.0% |
| 1966 | 18.9 births per 1,000 people | -5.1% |
| 1967 | 18.16 births per 1,000 people | -3.9% |
| 1968 | 17.88 births per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 1969 | 18.26 births per 1,000 people | +2.1% |
| 1970 | 18.74 births per 1,000 people | +2.6% |
| 1971 | 17.67 births per 1,000 people | -5.7% |
| 1972 | 16.06 births per 1,000 people | -9.1% |
| 1973 | 15.36 births per 1,000 people | -4.4% |
| 1974 | 15.3 births per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 1975 | 15.1 births per 1,000 people | -1.3% |
| 1976 | 15.08 births per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 15.63 births per 1,000 people | +3.6% |
| 1978 | 15.6 births per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1979 | 16.06 births per 1,000 people | +2.9% |
| 1980 | 16.29 births per 1,000 people | +1.5% |
| 1981 | 16.19 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1982 | 16.23 births per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 15.9 births per 1,000 people | -2.0% |
| 1984 | 15.8 births per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1985 | 15.9 births per 1,000 people | +0.7% |
| 1986 | 15.72 births per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 1987 | 15.8 births per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 16.04 births per 1,000 people | +1.5% |
| 1989 | 16.35 births per 1,000 people | +1.9% |
| 1990 | 16.47 births per 1,000 people | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 16.04 births per 1,000 people | -2.6% |
| 1992 | 15.6 births per 1,000 people | -2.7% |
| 1993 | 15.12 births per 1,000 people | -3.1% |
| 1994 | 14.71 births per 1,000 people | -2.7% |
| 1995 | 14.34 births per 1,000 people | -2.6% |
| 1996 | 14.12 births per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
| 1997 | 13.92 births per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 13.94 births per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 13.89 births per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 14.06 births per 1,000 people | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 13.83 births per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 13.67 births per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 13.74 births per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 13.71 births per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 13.71 births per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 13.99 births per 1,000 people | +2.0% |
| 2007 | 14.02 births per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 13.72 births per 1,000 people | -2.2% |
| 2009 | 13.28 births per 1,000 people | -3.2% |
| 2010 | 12.79 births per 1,000 people | -3.6% |
| 2011 | 12.55 births per 1,000 people | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 12.43 births per 1,000 people | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 12.28 births per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 12.33 births per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 12.21 births per 1,000 people | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 12.01 births per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 11.66 births per 1,000 people | -2.9% |
| 2018 | 11.39 births per 1,000 people | -2.3% |
| 2019 | 11.17 births per 1,000 people | -1.9% |
| 2020 | 10.73 births per 1,000 people | -3.9% |
| 2021 | 10.82 births per 1,000 people | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 10.98 births per 1,000 people | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 10.65 births per 1,000 people | -3.0% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 10.65 births per 1,000 people is above the median for high income countries, which is 9.6 births per 1,000 people, 1.1× the median. (85 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 24.63 births per 1,000 people | 23.98 births per 1,000 people | 24.99 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 20.75 births per 1,000 people | 17.88 births per 1,000 people | 24.25 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 16.06 births per 1,000 people | 15.08 births per 1,000 people | 18.74 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 16.02 births per 1,000 people | 15.72 births per 1,000 people | 16.35 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.82 births per 1,000 people | 13.89 births per 1,000 people | 16.47 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.77 births per 1,000 people | 13.28 births per 1,000 people | 14.06 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.08 births per 1,000 people | 11.17 births per 1,000 people | 12.79 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.8 births per 1,000 people | 10.65 births per 1,000 people | 10.98 births per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 159 Moldova 10.76 births per 1,000 people compare
- 160 Turks and Caicos Islands 10.74 births per 1,000 people compare
- 161 Trinidad and Tobago 10.71 births per 1,000 people compare
- 163 Luxembourg 10.44 births per 1,000 people compare
- 164 Ireland 10.25 births per 1,000 people compare
- 165 Albania 10.24 births per 1,000 people compare
More health data for United States
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.67 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.1867 % change on previous year (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 4,015 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2023)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.056 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0261 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.1919 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0274 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is birth rate vs. death rate in United States?
- Birth rate vs. death rate in United States was 10.65 births per 1,000 people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest birth rate vs. death rate recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 24.99 births per 1,000 people in 1957.
- What is the lowest birth rate vs. death rate recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.65 births per 1,000 people in 2023.
- How does United States rank for birth rate vs. death rate?
- United States ranks 162nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is birth rate vs. death rate rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Birth rate vs. death rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of live births in a year per 1,000 people in the population.