NCHS Data Briefs

Data Brief, No. 308. Declines in Births to Females Aged 10–14 in the United States, 2000–2016.

This data brief describes recent trends and variations in births to young mothers aged 10–14 by race and Hispanic origin and state. The decline in birth rates for those aged 10–14 was greater from 2008 through 2016 than from 2000 through 2008, and these declines were broad-based. Declines were observed for those aged 10–12, 13, and 14, and for all race and Hispanic-origin groups. Southern states generally had the highest birth rates for those aged 10–14 based on combined data from 2014 through 2016. A number of factors have been cited for the downward trend in teen childbearing in general, including delayed initiation of first sex, decreased sexual activity, and for sexually active teenagers, the use of effective contraception. The decreasing trend observed among those aged 10–14 is similar to the decreasing trend observed among females aged 15–19. In addition to declining trends, differences in birth rates for females aged 10–14 by race and Hispanic origin and among states have narrowed. However, disparities continue to persist in childbearing for these young mothers among race and Hispanic-origin groups and by state. The U.S. birth rate for females aged 10–14 remains one of the highest among industrialized countries. Data from the Natality Data Files from the National Vital Statistics System were used for these analyses.

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