US sees 1% rise in births in 2024, but not enough to halt 'population dip'

US births rose 1 per cent in 2024 after a previous dip, driven by Hispanic and Asian women; Trump admin eyes incentives like a $5,000 bonus to tackle falling fertility rates

The US experienced a modest increase in births in 2024 following a dip the previous year, according to preliminary figures released by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. The growth was entirely fuelled by rising birth rates among Hispanic and Asian populations, Bloomberg reported.

 

Total births grew by 1 per cent, surpassing 3.6 million nationwide. This increase was powered by a 5 per cent rise in births among Asian women and a 4 per cent uptick among Hispanic women.

 

In contrast, the number of births declined among Black women and showed a slight drop for White women, the news report said. 

 

 

  Despite the overall rise in births, the total fertility rate — the average number of children a woman is expected to have over her lifetime — remained below the replacement level. The US has not consistently met this threshold since 2007 and has struggled to reach it more broadly since the early 1970s.

 

California leads in birth numbers, Texas close behind

 

California, the nation's most populous state with over 39 million residents, reported the highest number of births at 401,515. Texas, despite having 8 million fewer people, was not far behind — only around 11,000 fewer births.

 

Some states recorded notable year-on-year growth in births, particularly Florida, Colorado, North Carolina, Texas, Washington, and Utah. Meanwhile, births declined in 15 states and the District of Columbia, with Louisiana and Mississippi experiencing the steepest drops.

 

The shift toward older motherhood continued in 2024. Birth rates fell among women aged 15 to 24 but rose for those in their 30s — especially for women aged 35 to 39.

 

$5,000 'baby bonus', scholarships

 

To boost the birth rate, the Trump administration has introduced initiatives aimed at encouraging Americans to marry and have children, according to The New York Times.

 

Concerns over falling fertility rates have grown among economists and policy experts, who warn of long-term economic consequences and an aging population with a shrinking workforce. In response, the administration is considering a range of initiatives. These include a one-time $5,000 “baby bonus” for new mothers, reserving 30 per cent of Fulbright scholarships for married applicants or parents, and symbolic honours like a “National Medal of Motherhood” for women with six or more children. IVF subsidies and menstrual health education programs are also on the table.

 

Vice President JD Vance and Tesla CEO Elon Musk are prominent supporters of the initiative. Vance, a father of three, has openly advocated for more American births, while Musk has warned that population decline poses a threat to civilisation. Trump himself has embraced the identity of the “fertilisation president”, calling for a “new baby boom".