Fertility

Fertility data can be found from a variety of sources. These sources are listed below with brief descriptions to help you decided which data source would best suit your needs. Availability of data by time and geography are highlighted in the sections below. The links below will take you to the appropriate page for fertility data by survey.

The American Community Survey (ACS)

The American Community Survey is a national annual survey that provides communities with reliable and timely demographic, housing, social, and economic data.

Data on fertility are available for the U.S., states, counties, selected metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas, and more specific geographic areas that meet minimum population sizes for the given survey year. There are about eight recurring tables on women’s fertility.

Data are available from 2000 to the present.

The Current Population Survey (CPS)

The Current Population Survey (CPS) is a monthly survey of about 50,000 households conducted by the Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The survey has been conducted for more than 50 years. Fertility data are collected bi-annually as part of the June Fertility Supplement.

Data on fertility for both married and never married women are available for the U.S. from 1976 to the present.

The Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP)

The Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) is a longitudinal panel survey of demographic information, income, labor force characteristics, and program participation in the United States. Supplemental topical modules are included on a rotating basis and include questions on topics such as measures of fertility history and maternity leave.

Data on fertility and program participation are available for the U.S. for each panel starting in 1993.

Decennial Data on Fertility

The decennial census occurs every 10 years, in years ending in zero, to count the population and housing units for the entire United States. Its primary purpose is to provide the population counts that determine how seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are apportioned. Information on fertility was collected in the 1980 Census for all women and in previous censuses for married women only. Previous census information can be obtained from the Census of Population and Housing website.

Data on fertility were not collected in the 2000 or 2010 decennial censuses. The last time data on fertility were collected on the decennial census was in 1990. Tabulations from the 1990 Census can be found in CP-2 report series on the social and economic characteristics of the population.