While the average American woman is having fewer children than ever before, a number of prominent figures in the United States are actively advocating for a reversal of this demographic trend.
Data recently released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that the US fertility rate – defined as the number of live births per 1,000 women of reproductive age over a specific period – experienced a significant 12% drop between 2016 and 2023, reaching historically low levels.
Concurrently, a pronatalist movement, which encourages people to have more children, is gaining traction. US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, a father of nine, recently announced a prioritization of infrastructure funding for communities with higher birth rates. This decision sparked concern in some states with lower fertility rates but was met with praise from pronatalists who view it as an indication that the government is taking their concerns seriously.
Furthermore, Elon Musk, a senior advisor to President Donald Trump and a father of at least 13 children, has repeatedly urged others to have more children, describing the global decline in birth rates as a crisis.
CNN conducted an analysis of fertility trends over the past eight years, comparing individual state rates to the national average and identifying the states with the highest and lowest rates within each region.
At a recent event held in Texas to brainstorm strategies for increasing birth rates, organizer Kevin Dolan highlighted the shifting political landscape. “The topic of demographic decline clearly resonates with Elon Musk, JD Vance, and numerous others within the Trump administration, suggesting that the innovative ideas generated here have the potential to receive attention that would have been unattainable just a year ago,” Dolan stated.
According to 2023 CDC data, South Dakota leads the nation with the highest fertility rate at 65.64 live births per 1,000 women aged 15–44, while Vermont has the lowest fertility rate at 42.1.
As illustrated by the map, fertility rates vary across different regions of the country. The following tables provide a regional breakdown of these rates. Click or tap to sort the states by region.
