Average age of mothers at childbirth in United States
United States: Average age of mothers at childbirth was 29.9 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
29.9 years
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
86th
of 236 countries
All-time high
29.9 years
in 2023
All-time low
25.77 years
in 1974
Years of data
91
1933–2023
Average age of mothers at childbirth in United States, 1933–2023
Source: Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for average age of mothers at childbirth in United States is 29.9 years, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 91 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average age of mothers at childbirth in United States peaked at 29.9 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 25.77 years, in 1974.
United States ranks 86th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 91 years of available data.
Average age of mothers at childbirth in United States, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1933 | 27.97 years | — |
| 1934 | 27.84 years | -0.5% |
| 1935 | 27.71 years | -0.5% |
| 1936 | 27.6 years | -0.4% |
| 1937 | 27.44 years | -0.6% |
| 1938 | 27.36 years | -0.3% |
| 1939 | 27.33 years | -0.1% |
| 1940 | 27.28 years | -0.2% |
| 1941 | 27.13 years | -0.5% |
| 1942 | 26.98 years | -0.6% |
| 1943 | 27.18 years | +0.7% |
| 1944 | 27.46 years | +1.0% |
| 1945 | 27.74 years | +1.0% |
| 1946 | 27.31 years | -1.6% |
| 1947 | 26.84 years | -1.7% |
| 1948 | 26.69 years | -0.6% |
| 1949 | 26.64 years | -0.2% |
| 1950 | 26.63 years | -0.0% |
| 1951 | 26.57 years | -0.2% |
| 1952 | 26.62 years | +0.2% |
| 1953 | 26.58 years | -0.1% |
| 1954 | 26.56 years | -0.1% |
| 1955 | 26.52 years | -0.2% |
| 1956 | 26.45 years | -0.3% |
| 1957 | 26.43 years | -0.1% |
| 1958 | 26.41 years | -0.0% |
| 1959 | 26.41 years | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 26.41 years | -0.0% |
| 1961 | 26.44 years | +0.1% |
| 1962 | 26.46 years | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 26.52 years | +0.2% |
| 1964 | 26.57 years | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 26.52 years | -0.2% |
| 1966 | 26.38 years | -0.5% |
| 1967 | 26.31 years | -0.3% |
| 1968 | 26.23 years | -0.3% |
| 1969 | 26.15 years | -0.3% |
| 1970 | 26.06 years | -0.4% |
| 1971 | 25.98 years | -0.3% |
| 1972 | 25.89 years | -0.3% |
| 1973 | 25.82 years | -0.3% |
| 1974 | 25.77 years | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 25.8 years | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 25.86 years | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 25.9 years | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 25.95 years | +0.2% |
| 1979 | 25.98 years | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 25.99 years | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 26.04 years | +0.2% |
| 1982 | 26.12 years | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 26.22 years | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 26.31 years | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 26.36 years | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 26.42 years | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 26.51 years | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 26.54 years | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 26.54 years | -0.0% |
| 1990 | 26.54 years | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 26.52 years | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 26.59 years | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 26.65 years | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 26.73 years | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 26.83 years | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 26.94 years | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 27.04 years | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 27.13 years | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 27.23 years | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 27.37 years | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 27.5 years | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 27.64 years | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 27.78 years | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 27.86 years | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 27.9 years | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 27.9 years | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 27.93 years | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 27.99 years | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 28.1 years | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 28.29 years | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 28.48 years | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 28.62 years | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 28.78 years | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 28.95 years | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 29.11 years | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 29.27 years | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 29.39 years | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 29.5 years | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 29.59 years | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 29.68 years | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 29.83 years | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 29.88 years | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 29.9 years | +0.1% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 29.9 years is below the median for high income countries, which is 30.49 years, 98% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 27.61 years | 27.33 years | 27.97 years | 7 |
| 1940s | 27.12 years | 26.64 years | 27.74 years | 10 |
| 1950s | 26.52 years | 26.41 years | 26.63 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 26.4 years | 26.15 years | 26.57 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 25.9 years | 25.77 years | 26.06 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 26.31 years | 25.99 years | 26.54 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 26.82 years | 26.52 years | 27.23 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 27.8 years | 27.37 years | 28.1 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 29 years | 28.29 years | 29.59 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.82 years | 29.68 years | 29.9 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near United States
More reference data data for United States
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 19.34 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 24.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 20.7 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 64.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 52.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 133.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 589.96 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 112.69 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average age of mothers at childbirth in United States?
- Average age of mothers at childbirth in United States was 29.9 years in 2023, according to Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average age of mothers at childbirth recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 29.9 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest average age of mothers at childbirth recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.77 years in 1974.
- How does United States rank for average age of mothers at childbirth?
- United States ranks 86th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average age of mothers at childbirth rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Average age of mothers at childbirth. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Mean age of mothers at the birth of their children if women were subject throughout their lives to the age-specific fertility rates observed in a given year.