3,628,934
births were registered in the United States in 2024.
That was a 1% increase from 2023.
CDC, Births: Final Data for 2024 ↗A reference for writers, parents, and gift guides
U.S. baby birth statistics, 2024.
The latest national facts about births, first-time parents, delivery, and newborn health, gathered from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The short version
Every tiny print begins with a very real, very new person.
For families, new babies are personal long before they are a statistic. For journalists, bloggers, and people creating guides for new parents, the numbers help describe the shape of that shared season. This page brings together current U.S. birth data in a format that is simple to quote and trace back to its original source.
Every figure below refers to the United States and 2024 data unless noted otherwise. It is a reference page, not medical guidance.
At a glance
2024 U.S. birth statistics
Each number links to its original CDC source, so it is easy to check, quote, and cite.
10.7
births per 1,000 people was the U.S. birth rate in 2024.
This is the general birth rate across the U.S. population.
CDC FastStats, Births and Natality ↗53.8
births per 1,000 women ages 15–44 was the general fertility rate in 2024.
The rate declined 1% from 2023.
CDC FastStats, Births and Natality ↗27.6
years was the mean age at first birth in 2024.
This figure refers to mothers giving birth for the first time.
CDC FastStats, Births and Natality ↗10.41%
of babies were born preterm in 2024.
The CDC defines preterm as before 37 completed weeks of gestation.
CDC FastStats, Infant Health ↗8.52%
of babies were born with low birthweight in 2024.
Low birthweight means less than 2,500 grams, or about 5 pounds, 8 ounces.
CDC FastStats, Birthweight and Gestation ↗32.4%
of U.S. deliveries were by cesarean in 2024.
That represents 1,173,391 cesarean deliveries.
CDC FastStats, Births, Method of Delivery ↗40.2%
of births had Medicaid as the source of payment for delivery in 2024.
This is reported from the national birth certificate data.
CDC, Birth Data ↗A little context
What the 2024 data shows.
The number of U.S. births rose slightly in 2024, to 3.63 million. At the same time, the general fertility rate edged down, a reminder that a total birth count and a population-based rate answer different questions.
For anyone sharing these figures, the most helpful practice is to keep the year and definition beside the number. For example, “preterm” here means birth before 37 completed weeks, and “low birthweight” means less than 2,500 grams. Those details make a statistic more useful and more honest.
Explore baby handprint keepsake ideas →Sources and methodology
Where these numbers come from.
Primary source
The figures are drawn from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics and its National Vital Statistics System, which compiles U.S. birth certificate data. The core report is Births: Final Data for 2024 ↗, published June 9, 2026.
How this page was compiled
We selected clearly defined, nationally reported figures that are useful for parent, newborn, and family-reference writing. We have not estimated, rounded, or combined figures into new statistics. CDC FastStats pages are used alongside the final report where they provide a direct, plain-language definition.
When to use it
Please cite the original CDC source for any individual figure, and link to this page when the round-up itself is useful to your readers. We will review this page when the next final national birth data is released, while keeping these anchors stable for anyone who has linked here.
Suggested citation
The Baby Handprint Company. “U.S. Baby Birth Statistics, 2024.” Updated September 29, 2026. https://thebabyhandprintco.com/baby-birth-statistics
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