Births: Final Data for 2022.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional national vital statistics census (by design analogy, not clinical CEBM)
What was done
Descriptive analysis of official birth certificates for all registered live births in the United States in 2022 (3,667,758 births). The report assessed maternal demographic and health characteristics (age, live-birth order, race/Hispanic origin, marital status, prenatal care timing, tobacco use, payer source) and infant outcomes (gestational age, birthweight, plurality, delivery method), examining single-year changes from 2021 and longer trends from 2010 to 2022.
What was found
A total of 3,667,758 births occurred in the US in 2022, essentially unchanged from 2021. The general fertility rate fell 1% to 56.0 births per 1,000 females aged 15–44, and the total fertility rate declined <1% to 1,656.5 births per 1,000 women. Birth rates fell 2% for teens aged 15–19 and 7% for women aged 20–24, but rose 1% to 5% for women aged 25–29 and 35–44, and rose 12% for women aged 45–49. Birth rates decreased for unmarried women and increased for married women. First-trimester prenatal care initiation dropped to 77.0%, while smoking during pregnancy declined to 3.7%. Cesarean delivery remained flat at 32.1%, and Medicaid covered 41.3% of births. The preterm birth rate fell 1% to 10.38%, while low birthweight rose 1% to 8.60%. Twin birth rates were unchanged at 31.2 per 1,000, while triplet and higher-order multiple births fell 2%.
Why it matters
This report provides the definitive annual benchmark for US fertility, obstetric trends, and neonatal outcomes. The data highlight a continued shift in childbearing toward older maternal age groups alongside persistent challenges in early prenatal care access and low birthweight.
Limits
The dataset relies on administrative birth certificates, which can vary in reporting accuracy across jurisdictions and are vulnerable to misclassification of self-reported behaviors such as tobacco use. As a purely descriptive surveillance report, it does not assess causal factors for observed changes.
Cited by
- supports There are approximately 4 million placentas available annually in the United States alone.