U.S. Births Dip To 30-Year Low; Fertility Rate Sinks Further Below Replacement Level

The birth rate fell for nearly every group of women of reproductive age in the U.S. in 2017, reflecting a sharp drop that saw the fewest newborns since 1978, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There were 3,853,472 births in the U.S. in 2017 – "down 2 percent from 2016 and the lowest number in 30 years," the CDC said.

The general fertility rate