Sex & Childbearing

How pregnancy, birth, and teen sex trends relate to family structure and religious practice.

Sex & Childbearing Charts

 
  • Percent of births to unwed mothers, by age group Unwed childbearing has increased dramatically, regardless of mother's age Today, nearly nine in 10 children born to teenage mothers are born outside of marriage - a more than six-fold increase since 1950. The increase among mothers in their early twenties was especially pronounced: a 16-fold jump. The increase among unwed mothers age 30 and older is at least 10-fold.
  • Percent of unwed births by mother's age Most unwed childbearing occurs among females in their twenties About 60 percent of all unwed births are to mothers in their twenties. About 20 percent of unwed births are to teenage mothers.
  • Birth rates by mother's marital status The gap between married and unmarried birth rates has narrowed Since 1960, the rate of births to married mothers has decreased by 45 percent to 85.7 per 1,000 married women. During the same period, the rate of unwed childbirths has increased by 134 percent to 50.5 per 1,000 unmarried women.
  • Birth rates and fertility rates, by race Birth and fertility rates have fallen significantly since 1960 Since 1960, the overall birth rate has fallen 45 percent, and the fertility rate, 46 percent. Since 1990, African-Americans and Hispanics have had the largest declines. Today, rates are highest among Hispanics and lowest among whites.
  • Total fertility rates, by race Total fertility rates are lowest among whites and highest among Hispanics The total fertility rate is the average number of children that a woman is expected to have, based on current fertility patterns. Currently, the rate for a Hispanic woman is about 1.3 times higher than the rate for non-Hispanic white women.
  • Average age of mother The average age of first-time mothers has steadily increased Since 1970, the average age of mothers giving birth to their first child has increased from 21 to 25. For all births, the average age of the mother has increased by about three years over this same period.
  • Percent who have abstained from sexual activity, by ... Teens and young adults are more likely to be abstinent Since 2002, the percent of teens and young adults who have abstained from any form of sexual activity increased. While all age groups became more abstinent, the gains were particularly significant among late teenage girls and men and women in their early 20s.
  • Birth rates, by mother's age Women are having children later Since the late 1970s, the birth rate has generally decreased or remained stable for women younger than age 30 and has increased among women over age 30.
  • Percentage of births to unwed mothers Four in 10 children are born to unwed mothers The percentage of children born outside of marriage has skyrocketed, with a six-fold increase since 1960. Currently, the figure is highest among blacks, but the rate of increase is highest among whites and Hispanics.
  • Abortion number, rate, and ratio By most measures, abortions have declined in recent decades After an initial steep increase in abortion in the 1970s, abortion leveled off in the 1980s and generally decreased throughout the 1990s. Since 1990, the number of abortions has decreased by 25 percent, the abortion rate by 29 percent, and the abortion ratio by 20 percent.
  • Share of abortions, by woman's marital status The vast majority of abortions are performed on unmarried women Eight in 10 abortions are performed on unmarried women, up from three in four in 1970.
  • Share of abortions, by woman's age Half of all abortions are performed on women age 25 or older Since the 1970s, the share of all abortions performed on teenage girls has decreased by nearly half. The share for women in their early twenties has increased slightly (up 3 percent) and the share for women age 25 and older has increased by more than 40 percent.
  • Share of abortions, by race More than two in five abortions are performed on minority women While white women account for over half of all abortions, the race divide is narrowing. Since the 1970s, the share of abortions performed on white women has decreased by 24 percent while the share performed on African-American women has increased by 34 percent.
  • Teen pregnancy rates, by race Teen pregnancy rates have declined significantly among all racial groups Since 1990, the teen pregnancy rate has declined by nearly 40 percent for all teens. The rate for whites declined by 49 percent and the rate for African-Americans declined by 44 percent.
  • Teen birth rates, by age group Teen birth rates have declined The overall teen birth rate peaked in the 1950s. It fell in the following decades until the mid- 1980s, after which it rose again. After 1991, the overall teen birth rate declined again by a third.
  • Teen birth rates, by race Teen birth rates have declined for all racial groups Since 1989, the overall teen birth rate has fallen by 32 percent. The rate decreased by 36 percent among whites, 47 percent among African-Americans, and 30 percent among Hispanics.
  • Teen abortion rates Teen abortion rates have declined Since 1988, the abortion rate for girls age 15 to 19 has declined by nearly 60 percent. The rate for young teens declined by nearly 60 percent, while the rate for older teens dropped by about 50 percent.
  • Teen abortion rates, by race Teen abortion rates have declined for blacks, whites, and Hispanics Since 1990, the abortion rate for teenage girls has dropped by 67 percent among whites, 45 percent among African-Americans, and 37 percent among Hispanics.
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