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Juvenile Population Characteristics
Teen Mothers
Q: How do States vary in their birth rates for teen mothers ages 15-17?
A: The 2020 birth rate for teen mothers ages 15-17 in Mississippi was the highest in the nation and more than five times the rate in New Hampshire, which had the lowest rate.

Teenage birth rates* by State, 2020

State Ages 15-19 Ages 15-17 Ages 18-19
United States 15.4 6.3 28.9
Alabama 24.8 10.2 46.4
Alaska 17.7 4.3 42.2
Arizona 16.6 7.2 30.3
Arkansas 27.8 10.8 54.3
California 11.0 4.6 20.7
Colorado 12.5 5.2 23.6
Connecticut 7.6 3.2 13.6
Delaware 14.6 6.1 26.4
District of Columbia 15.6 11.2 18.7
Florida 15.2 5.8 29.5
Georgia 18.2 7.7 34.1
Hawaii 13.0 4.5 26.6
Idaho 14.6 5.1 30.2
Illinois 13.6 5.4 26.1
Indiana 18.7 6.9 36.2
Iowa 13.3 5.1 24.9
Kansas 18.1 6.7 35.3
Kentucky 23.8 8.6 46.8
Louisiana 25.7 10.7 49.6
Maine 10.6 3.7 20.8
Maryland 13.1 6.0 23.7
Massachusetts 6.1 2.7 10.0
Michigan 13.5 5.4 25.5
Minnesota 9.1 3.5 17.9
Mississippi 27.9 12.0 51.9
Missouri 18.8 7.3 36.4
Montana 13.2 4.8 26.2
Nebraska 15.1 6.4 28.0
Nevada 16.8 6.3 35.4
New Hampshire 6.6 2.2 12.5
New Jersey 9.2 3.6 18.4
New Mexico 21.9 9.3 41.2
New York 10.0 4.1 18.3
North Carolina 17.3 6.9 31.7
North Dakota 13.7 5.7 24.7
Ohio 17.6 6.8 33.7
Oklahoma 25.0 10.1 48.1
Oregon 10.1 3.6 20.0
Pennsylvania 12.6 5.7 21.9
Rhode Island 9.4 4.6 14.4
South Carolina 19.3 8.0 35.5
South Dakota 18.7 8.6 33.9
Tennessee 23.3 9.0 45.9
Texas 22.4 9.8 42.2
Utah 10.8 4.1 21.5
Vermont 7.0 2.8 11.3
Virginia 13.1 5.2 24.2
Washington 11.3 4.3 22.3
West Virginia 22.5 9.2 42.7
Wisconsin 11.5 4.2 21.9
Wyoming 18.1 5.3 39.0
Puerto Rico 15.5 6.6 27.9
Virgin Islands 15.1 ** 33.6
Guam 33.0 8.6 67.8
American Samoa NA NA NA
Northern Marianas 17.9 ** 29.7

*The number of births per 1,000 females in age group.
** Too few cases to calculate a reliable rate.

[ Map version ]  [ CSV file ]

  • The 2020 birth rate for teens ages 15-17 was 6.3; the teen birth rate in 21 states and District of Columbia was equal to or above the U.S. rate.
  • The U.S. birth rate for teen mothers ages 15-17 fell 59% between 2011 and 2019.
  • During this period, the birth rate for teen mothers ages 15-17 declined in every state, ranging from a decrease of 43% in South Dakota to a decrease of 70% in Oregon.

Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/population/qa01304.asp?qaDate=2020. Released on May 02, 2022.

Data Source: Births: Final Data for 2020. National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 70, No. 17. [PDF]. Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics, 2021.

 

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