According to preliminary data, there were 4.1 million births in the United States in 2005, which was unchanged from 2004. The number of births rose most noticeably among Hispanic women, followed by Asian/Pacific Islander women. Births also rose slightly among American Indian/Alaska Native and non-Hispanic Black women, while they declined slightly among non-Hispanic White women. The birth rate of 14.0 live births per 1,000 population was the same as the rate reported in 2004. Among non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and Asian/Pacific Islander populations, birth rates declined, while they rose slightly among the Hispanic and American Indian/Alaska Native populations.

With regard to age, overall birth rates were highest among those aged 25–29 years (115.6 per 1,000), followed by those aged 20–24 years (102.2 per 1,000). The birth rate for non-Hispanic Whites was highest in the 25–29 age group (109.3 per 1,000), while the rates for non-Hispanic Blacks, Hispanics, and American Indian/Alaska Natives were highest in the 20–24 age group (126.7, 169.6, and 109.0 per 1,000, respectively). The birth rate among Asian/Pacific Islanders was highest among 30- to 34-year-olds (115.1 per 1,000).

Overall, 36.8 percent of births were to unmarried mothers. This percentage was the highest among non-Hispanic Black mothers (69.5 percent of all births), followed by American Indian/Alaska Native mothers (63.3 percent). The lowest percentage of births to unmarried mothers was among the Asian/Pacific Islander group (16.2 percent).

> TABLE: Live Births per 1,000 Women, by Age and Race/Ethnicity, 2005

> Vertical Bar Chart: Births to Unmarried Mothers, by Race/Ethnicity, 2005