Surprising Facts About Modern Mothers

The Modern Mother Tends to be Older

Contrary to all of the talk about an epidemic of teen pregnancy, the birth rate among teenage girls has actually hit an all-time low in the US — dropping from 96.3 births per 1,000 women in 1957 to fewer than 30 in 2014. In fact, birth rates have been declining in all age groups except for women 35 and older, who are slowly having more children. Due to the decline in young pregnancies, the average age of first-time mothers increased by more than four years between 1970 and 2012. An increase in access to birth control and sex education, as well as an increasing number of women pursuing a college education and delaying childbirth to develop careers, are among the variety of social forces driving this trend.

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Review Date: 
May 9, 2014

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Last Updated:
July 1, 2014