Trends in Births and Deaths: United States, 2010-2023.

Objectives: This report presents and compares trends in U.S. births and deaths from 2010 through 2023. Births and deaths are shown by race and Hispanic origin and urbanicity of county of residence.

Methods: Descriptive tabulations of trends in the numbers, rates, and ratios of births and deaths for the United States from 2010 through 2023 are presented and interpreted.

Results: From 2010 through 2023, the number of births for the United States declined by a total of 10%. Births were essentially stable from 2010 through 2016, declined from 2016 through 2019, and then fluctuated from 2019 through 2023. In contrast, the number of deaths generally increased from 2010 through 2023, by a total of 25%. Deaths increased from 2010 through 2019 and fluctuated from 2019 through 2023. The crude birth rate decreased 18% from 2010 through 2023, declining 0.8% per year from 2010 through 2015 and 2.0% per year from 2015 through 2019; the rate then fluctuated from 2019 through 2023. In contrast, the crude death rate increased 15% from 2010 through 2023, rising 1.0% on average from 2010 through 2019, and then fluctuating from 2019 through 2023. The birth-to-death ratio declined from 2010 through 2023, by a total of 28%, with the ratio decreasing 1.6% per year from 2010 through 2014 and 2.8% per year from 2014 through 2019; the ratio then fluctuated from 2019 through 2023. The ratio generally declined for the three largest race and Hispanic-origin groups from 2010 through 2023, fluctuating but increasing from 2019 through 2023. The differences in the ratios among the groups narrowed from 2010 through 2023. The birth-to-death ratio declined for both urban and rural counties from 2010 through 2023, with differences between ratios narrowing.