US births fell last year, marking an end to the late pandemic rebound, experts say

By MIKE STOBBE
AP Medical Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The number of U.S. births fell last year. It was the lowest count in more than 40 years. A little under 3.6 million babies were born in the U.S. in 2023, about 76,000 fewer than the year before. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the provisional statistics on Thursday. Birth rates have long been falling for teenagers and younger women, but rising for women in their 30s and 40s. But last year, birth rates fell for all women younger than 40, and were flat for women in their 40s.