News Release

April 4, 2025 (Salt Lake City) – U.S. and Utah fertility rates, which can be thought of as births per woman, continued a long-term decline in 2023, according to recent data released by the CDC National Center for Health Statistics and analyzed by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. The U.S. total fertility rate (TFR) was 1.621 in 2023, a 2.1% decline from 1.656 in 2022.  Utah’s TFR has now declined or stayed constant for 15 consecutive years, dropping to 1.801 in 2023, a 2.8% decline from 1.853 in 2022.

“Three states-–North Dakota, Mississippi, and Tennessee–-experienced TFR increases or no change in 2023, while the rest declined,” said Emily Harris, senior demographer at the Gardner Institute. “Economic factors such as housing and childcare costs and broader social factors like postponement of marriage and childbearing all influence fertility rate declines.”

Key findings from the summary include the following:

Utah’s 2023 TFR drops from 4th to 10th highest in the nation – Utah’s TFR of 1.801 dropped from 4th highest to 10th highest, behind many midwestern and some southern states. Between 2022 and 2023, Utah’s TFR declined by 2.8%. This is a continuation of Utah’s TFR declining or staying consistent since 2012, but slower than the 3.4% decrease from 2021 to 2022.

Utah’s 2023 TFR decline driven mainly by fertility declines in 25–29 and 30-34-year-old women – This is the sharpest fertility decline for 25-29-year-olds since 2016-2018, when fertility rates dropped substantially. However, all but two age groups experienced a fertility decline. Age-specific fertility rates for 15-17-year-old and 45-49-year-old women increased.

The U.S. 2023 TFR decreased by 2.1% to 1.621 children per woman (down from 1.656) – Between 2022 and 2023, total fertility rates in North Dakota and Mississippi increased, and Tennessee’s remained the same. South Dakota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Alaska, and Louisiana’s TFRs rank highest in the nation. The District of Columbia, Vermont, Rhode Island, Oregon, and New Hampshire rank lowest.

The range of state TFR changes narrowed in 2023 – The 2023 range of percentage changes in state TFRs narrowed compared to 2022. In 2022, TFR percentage changes ranged from a 1.9% increase to a  7.2% decline; in 2023, TFR percentage changes ranged from a 0.6% increase to a -4.9% decline.

The fact sheet is now available online.

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