Definition
Number of live births per 1,000 population.Numerator
Number of live births.Denominator
Number of persons in population.Why Is This Important?
Tracking birth rate patterns among Utah and U.S. women as a whole is critical to understanding population growth and change in this country and in Utah. Birth rates directly relate to a population's need for timely and appropriate preconception, prenatal, neonatal, and postpartum care.How Are We Doing?
In 2017, there were 48,578 live births to Utah residents, a rate of 15.7 per 1,000 Utahns. This is a 5% decrease from the 2016 birth rate of 16.6, and ultimately, the lowest birth rate in a decade.How Do We Compare With the U.S.?
Utah continued to report the highest birth rate in the U.S. with 15.7 live births per 1,000 total population in 2017. The final U.S. birth rate in 2017 of 11.8 per 1,000 population was considerably lower. The U.S. birth rate decreased from the 2016 rate of 12.2.What Is Being Done?
Having an overall high birth rate is not a risk factor for poor health outcomes. However, elevated teen pregnancy rates are a concern as these pregnancies are considered to be at higher risk.
The final U.S. data for 2017 indicate that the teen birth rate for those 15 through 19 years of age was 18.8, a historic low for the country. The rate was down 7% from 2016 (20.3). The rate was down by 55% or nearly 8% per year since 2007 (41.5), the most recent period of continued decline, and 70% (or 4% per year) since 1991, the most recent peak.
Utah's teen birth rate for those 15 through 19 years also decreased to a rate of 15.1 in 2017. A variety of educational and prevention activities are targeted to decrease teen birth rates.
