birthrate

American  

[burth-rayt] / ˈbɜrθˌreɪt /

noun

• birthrates
  plural

1. the proportion of births to the total population in a place in a given time, usually expressed as a quantity per 1000 of population.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• birthrates
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of birthrate

First recorded in 1855–60; birth + rate ¹

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Explanation

A birthrate is the number of babies born during a specific time period within a certain population. When experts calculate how much a country or region's population is growing or shrinking, they compare the birthrate with rates of deaths and migration. This usually means determining the number of live births for every population of 1,000. Birthrate is figured using census data and a worldwide registration system that records new births. From the 1950s to the 2020s, the average global birthrate has significantly and consistently declined, though the global population has greatly increased.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

birthrate birthrates

With immigrants and baby boomers leaving the labor force and a low birthrate, there could be fewer people to buy the goods and services produced by the economy.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026

Ultra-Orthodox Jews make up 14.3 percent of Israel's population, according to the Israel Democracy Institute think tank, but have a much higher birthrate than secular Israelis.

From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026

Nationwide, the birthrate is falling even more dramatically for Hispanic women, who make up a sizable share of the population in some cities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

This intergenerational compact is now reversing because of an aging population and declining birthrate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

That higher birthrate of food producers, together with their ability to feed more people per acre, lets them achieve much higher population densities than hunter-gatherers.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Falling birthrates are squeezing school budgets, leaving communities to make tough trade-offs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

Many school districts have additional enrollment pressures that compound falling birthrates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

On the whole, falling birthrates could be a mixed bag for corporate America.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026

In recent years, American immigration advocates have argued that falling birthrates create a need for more immigrant labor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

Take a look at the following chart, which shows the birthrates in the United States from 1910 to 1950.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

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