Trends:
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Births per capita have declined steadily from around 1.8–1.9% in 1970 to about 1.07% in 2023.
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The early 1970s saw the highest birth-per-population rates of the modern era.
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Since around 2000, the birth rate has stayed in the 1.3%–1.1% range, declining further in the 2020s.
Births per capita have declined steadily from around 1.8–1.9% in 1970 to about 1.07% in 2023.
The early 1970s saw the highest birth-per-population rates of the modern era.
Since around 2000, the birth rate has stayed in the 1.3%–1.1% range, declining further in the 2020s.
🗓️ Births per Capita (% of Population) — U.S. Crude Birth Rate
| Year | Crude Birth Rate (per 1,000) | Births as % of Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 18.4 | 1.84 % |
| 1971 | ~17.2 | ~1.72 % |
| 1972 | ~15.6 | ~1.56 % |
| 1980 | ~15.9 | ~1.59 % |
| 1990 | ~14.7 | ~1.47 % |
| 2000 | ~14.7 | ~1.47 % |
| 2010 | ~13.0 | ~1.30 % |
| 2020 | 10.9 | 1.09 % |
| 2021 | 11.0 | 1.10 % |
| 2022 | 11.0 | 1.10 % |
| 2023 | 10.7 | 1.07 % |
🇺🇸 U.S. Population and Births per Day (1970–2020)
| Year | U.S. Population | Total Births (Est.) | Avg. Births/Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 203,302,031 | 3,731,000 | ~10,220 |
| 1980 | 226,545,805 | 3,612,000 | ~9,900 |
| 1990 | 248,709,873 | 4,158,000 | ~11,390 |
| 2000 | 281,421,906 | 4,059,000 | ~11,120 |
| 2010 | 308,745,538 | 3,999,000 | ~10,950 |
| 2020 | 331,449,281 | 3,614,000 | ~9,900 |
| Decade | Estimated Abortions (Total) |
|---|---|
| 1970–1979 | ~4.0 million |
| 1980–1989 | ~15.3 million |
| 1990–1999 | ~14.4 million |
| 2000–2009 | ~12.6 million |
| 2010–2019 | ~9.1 million |
Total Estimate 1970–2020:
~56.3 million abortions
To calculate how many births there would have been per decade and per day if abortions hadn't occurred, we'll add the estimated abortions back to the actual births for each decade.
✅ Here's the Data (U.S. Only):
| Decade | Actual Births | Estimated Abortions | Total If No Abortions | Births/Day (with abortion) | Births/Day (if none aborted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | ~36.3 million | ~4.0 million | ~40.3 million | ~9,945 | ~11,041 |
| 1980s | ~38.3 million | ~15.3 million | ~53.6 million | ~10,493 | ~14,685 |
| 1990s | ~39.1 million | ~14.4 million | ~53.5 million | ~10,712 | ~14,658 |
| 2000s | ~40.5 million | ~12.6 million | ~53.1 million | ~11,096 | ~14,548 |
| 2010s | ~36.2 million | ~9.1 million | ~45.3 million | ~9,918 | ~12,411 |
| 2020 | ~3.6 million | ~0.93 million | ~4.53 million | ~9,863 | ~12,411 |
Note: Births per day = total births ÷ number of days in the period (e.g., 10 years = 3,652.5 days accounting for leap years).
🔎 What Does This Mean?
If no abortions had occurred:
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Each decade would have seen 2,500 to 4,000 more babies born per day, depending on the decade.
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The 1980s and 1990s would have seen the most dramatic increase in births.
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Over the 50-year span from 1970–2020, the U.S. would have had about 56 million more births.
U.S. Fertility Rate and the Underpopulation Concern
In recent years, the U.S. fertility rate has dropped below the replacement level, which is 2.1 children per woman. As of the most recent data:
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U.S. fertility rate (2023 est.): ~1.62 children per woman
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Replacement rate: 2.1 children per woman
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Shortfall: -0.48 children per woman
🧮 What If Abortions Had Not Happened?
As we saw in the previous data:
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~63 million abortions since 1973
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That's nearly 1 in 6 Americans never born
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Many would now be in their prime working and parenting years
If even half of those children had been born and had children of their own, the replacement crisis might not exist.
As we saw in the previous data:
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~63 million abortions since 1973
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That's nearly 1 in 6 Americans never born
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Many would now be in their prime working and parenting years
If even half of those children had been born and had children of their own, the replacement crisis might not exist.
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