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).
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TABLE: Live Births per 1,000 Women, by Age and Race/Ethnicity,
2005
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Vertical Bar Chart: Births to Unmarried Mothers, by Race/Ethnicity, 2005
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