The fertility rate in the United States dropped in 2023, after a slight two-year rebound that followed the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Provisional CDC data show that 3.59 million births were recorded in 2023, amounting to 54.4 live births per 1,000 females ages 15-44. This is 76,000 less than in 2022.

The decline brings last year's fertility rate to below the level in 2020, which was 56 births per 1,000 females.

The report also showed that the teen birth rate in the U.S. has reached a record low at 13.2 births per 1,000 females ages 15-19 — 79% lower than the most recent peak in 1991.

The latest data on fertility trends show that more women are choosing to have children later in life.

Brady Hamilton, lead author of the report, said birth rates are shifting toward women in their 30s, rather than their 20s.

"One factor, of course, is the option to wait. We had a pandemic, or there's an economic downturn, let's say. Women in their 20s can postpone having a birth until things improve and they feel more comfortable," he said. "For older women, the option of waiting is not as viable."

The record drop in birth rates come a full year after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed states to ban or restrict abortion. According to The Associated Press, abortion restrictions could impact the number of births, given that nearly half of pregnancies are unintended. (VOA/KV)