WI’s Birth Rate Increases In 2023, Counter To U.S. Trend

WISCONSIN — More babies were born in Wisconsin in 2023 than in 2022, contrary to a nationwide trend that saw births slow to a historic low, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In an analysis of provisional data published Thursday, the CDC said the U.S.birth rate slowed by 2 percent from 2022 to 2023, officially ending the uptick in babies that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, 3,591,328 babies were born, compared to 3,667,758 in 2022. Slightly fewer babies were born in 2022 than in 2021, though CDC officials did not consider the decline statistically significant.

In Wisconsin, 4,784 babies were born in 2023, compared to 4,718 in 2022 and 4,550 born in 2021, according to provisional data.

The CDC said the drop signals a return to the pre-pandemic trend of people having fewer babies. Typically, the number of births goes down by about 2 percent a year.

The fertility rate, which calculates how many times a woman will give birth over her lifetime, also slid. Last year, the fertility rate was about 1,616.5 births per 1,000 women.

Previously reported U.S. Census Bureau estimates show that unless the fertility rate rebounds to about 2,100 births per 1,000 women, or about 2.1 children per woman, the nation won’t be able to sustain its current population without immigration and a decrease in the death rate.