Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling in United States
United States: Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling was 1.62 live births per woman in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
1.62 live births per woman
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
148th
of 236 countries
All-time high
3.75 live births per woman
in 1958
All-time low
1.62 live births per woman
in 2020
Years of data
92
1933–2024
Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling in United States, 1933–2024
Source: Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in live births per woman.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fertility rate vs. average years of schooling in United States is 1.62 live births per woman, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 12.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate vs. average years of schooling in United States peaked at 3.75 live births per woman in 1958 and was at its lowest, 1.62 live births per woman, in 2020.
That places United States 148th out of 236 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 92 years of available data.
Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling in United States, year by year
| Year | live births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1933 | 2.01 live births per woman | — |
| 1934 | 2.07 live births per woman | +3.0% |
| 1935 | 2.04 live births per woman | -1.6% |
| 1936 | 2.01 live births per woman | -1.5% |
| 1937 | 2.04 live births per woman | +1.5% |
| 1938 | 2.09 live births per woman | +2.6% |
| 1939 | 2.05 live births per woman | -2.0% |
| 1940 | 2.11 live births per woman | +3.1% |
| 1941 | 2.23 live births per woman | +5.3% |
| 1942 | 2.46 live births per woman | +10.7% |
| 1943 | 2.57 live births per woman | +4.1% |
| 1944 | 2.44 live births per woman | -4.9% |
| 1945 | 2.38 live births per woman | -2.4% |
| 1946 | 2.83 live births per woman | +18.9% |
| 1947 | 3.16 live births per woman | +11.7% |
| 1948 | 3.01 live births per woman | -4.8% |
| 1949 | 3.02 live births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1950 | 3.09 live births per woman | +2.1% |
| 1951 | 3.2 live births per woman | +3.6% |
| 1952 | 3.29 live births per woman | +2.9% |
| 1953 | 3.36 live births per woman | +2.1% |
| 1954 | 3.48 live births per woman | +3.5% |
| 1955 | 3.52 live births per woman | +1.2% |
| 1956 | 3.62 live births per woman | +3.1% |
| 1957 | 3.7 live births per woman | +2.2% |
| 1958 | 3.75 live births per woman | +1.4% |
| 1959 | 3.75 live births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1960 | 3.73 live births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1961 | 3.69 live births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1962 | 3.53 live births per woman | -4.3% |
| 1963 | 3.39 live births per woman | -4.0% |
| 1964 | 3.26 live births per woman | -3.9% |
| 1965 | 2.98 live births per woman | -8.4% |
| 1966 | 2.77 live births per woman | -7.2% |
| 1967 | 2.6 live births per woman | -5.9% |
| 1968 | 2.51 live births per woman | -3.7% |
| 1969 | 2.5 live births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1970 | 2.52 live births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1971 | 2.32 live births per woman | -7.8% |
| 1972 | 2.06 live births per woman | -11.3% |
| 1973 | 1.92 live births per woman | -6.6% |
| 1974 | 1.87 live births per woman | -2.6% |
| 1975 | 1.81 live births per woman | -3.0% |
| 1976 | 1.78 live births per woman | -1.7% |
| 1977 | 1.83 live births per woman | +2.3% |
| 1978 | 1.8 live births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1979 | 1.84 live births per woman | +2.2% |
| 1980 | 1.86 live births per woman | +1.0% |
| 1981 | 1.85 live births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1982 | 1.85 live births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 1.83 live births per woman | -1.5% |
| 1984 | 1.83 live births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 1.85 live births per woman | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 1.85 live births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 1.89 live births per woman | +1.8% |
| 1988 | 1.94 live births per woman | +3.0% |
| 1989 | 2.01 live births per woman | +3.7% |
| 1990 | 2.07 live births per woman | +2.9% |
| 1991 | 2.06 live births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1992 | 2.04 live births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 2.01 live births per woman | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 1.99 live births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 1.97 live births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 1.96 live births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 1.96 live births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 1.98 live births per woman | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 1.99 live births per woman | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 2.03 live births per woman | +2.0% |
| 2001 | 2.01 live births per woman | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 2 live births per woman | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 2.02 live births per woman | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 2.03 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 2.04 live births per woman | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 2.09 live births per woman | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 2.1 live births per woman | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 2.05 live births per woman | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 1.99 live births per woman | -3.2% |
| 2010 | 1.92 live births per woman | -3.6% |
| 2011 | 1.88 live births per woman | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 1.86 live births per woman | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 1.84 live births per woman | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 1.85 live births per woman | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 1.83 live births per woman | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 1.8 live births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 1.75 live births per woman | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 1.72 live births per woman | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 1.68 live births per woman | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 1.62 live births per woman | -4.0% |
| 2021 | 1.63 live births per woman | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 1.67 live births per woman | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 1.62 live births per woman | -2.5% |
| 2024 | 1.62 live births per woman | -0.1% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 1.62 live births per woman is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.51 live births per woman, 1.1× the median. (85 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 2.04 live births per woman | 2.01 live births per woman | 2.09 live births per woman | 7 |
| 1940s | 2.62 live births per woman | 2.11 live births per woman | 3.16 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1950s | 3.47 live births per woman | 3.09 live births per woman | 3.75 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1960s | 3.1 live births per woman | 2.5 live births per woman | 3.73 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.98 live births per woman | 1.78 live births per woman | 2.52 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.88 live births per woman | 1.83 live births per woman | 2.01 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 2 live births per woman | 1.96 live births per woman | 2.07 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.04 live births per woman | 1.99 live births per woman | 2.1 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.81 live births per woman | 1.68 live births per woman | 1.92 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.63 live births per woman | 1.62 live births per woman | 1.67 live births per woman | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
More education data for United States
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.74 million (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 419,732 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 4.34 million (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 4.14 million (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 25.35 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 23.83 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.33 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0708 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate vs. average years of schooling in United States?
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling in United States was 1.62 live births per woman in 2024, according to Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertility rate vs. average years of schooling recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 3.75 live births per woman in 1958.
- What is the lowest fertility rate vs. average years of schooling recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.62 live births per woman in 2020.
- How does United States rank for fertility rate vs. average years of schooling?
- United States ranks 148th out of 236 countries with data for 2024.
- Is fertility rate vs. average years of schooling rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Average number of live births a hypothetical cohort of women would have at the end of their reproductive period if they were subject during their whole lives to the fertility rates of a given period and if they were not subject to mortality.