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Table POP7.A Births to unmarried women: Birth rates for unmarried women by age of mother, selected years 1980–2003
 
(Live births to unmarried women per 1,000 in specified age group)
 
Age of mother 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
 
Total ages 15–44 29.4 29.5 30.0 30.3 31.0 32.8 34.2 36.0 38.5 41.6 43.8 45.0 44.9 44.8 46.2 44.3 43.8 42.9 43.3 43.3 44.1 43.8 43.7 44.9
 
Age 
Ages 15–17  20.6 20.9 21.5 22.0 21.9 22.4 22.8 24.5 26.4 28.7 29.6 30.8 30.2 30.3 31.7 30.1 28.5 27.7 26.5 25.0 23.9 22.0 20.8
Ages 18–19 39.0 39.0 39.6 40.7 42.5 45.9 48.0 48.9 51.5 56.0 60.7 65.4 66.7 66.2 69.1 66.5 64.9 63.9 63.6 62.3 62.2 60.6 58.6
Ages 20–24 40.9 41.1 41.5 41.8 43.0 46.5 49.3 52.6 56.0 61.2 65.1 67.8 67.9 68.5 70.9 68.7 68.9 68.9 70.4 70.8 72.2 71.3 70.5
Ages 25–29 34.0 34.5 35.1 35.5 37.1 39.9 42.2 44.5 48.5 52.8 56.0 56.0 55.6 55.9 57.4 54.3 54.5 53.4 55.4 56.9 58.5 59.5 61.5
Ages 30–34 21.1 20.8 21.9 22.4 23.3 25.2 27.2 29.6 32.0 34.9 37.6 37.9 37.6 38.0 39.6 38.9 40.2 37.9 38.1 38.1 39.3 40.4 40.8
Ages 35–39 9.7 9.8 10.0 10.2 10.9 11.6 12.2 13.5 15.0 16.0 17.3 17.9 18.8 18.9 19.7 19.3 19.9 18.7 18.7 19.0 19.7 20.4 20.8
Ages 40–44 2.6 2.6 2.7 2.6 2.5 2.5 2.7 2.9 3.2 3.4 3.6 3.8 4.1 4.4 4.7 4.7 4.8 4.6 4.6 4.6 5.0 5.3 5.4
 
 
— = not available  
 
NOTE: 2003 data for the total, ages 15–44, is preliminary. 2003 data for specific age groups are not available. Births to unmarried women were somewhat underreported in Michigan and Texas during the years 1989–93; data since 1994 have been reported on a complete basis. Ventura, S.J. and Bachrach, C.A. (2000). Nonmarital childbearing in the United States, 1940–99. National Vital Statistics Reports 48(16). Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.
SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System. Hamilton, B.E., Martin, J.A., and Sutton, P.D. (2004). Births: Preliminary data for 2003. National Vital Statistics Reports, 53(9). Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. Martin, J.A., Hamilton, B.E., Sutton, P.D., Ventura, S.J., Menacker, F., and Munson, M.L. (2003). Births: Final data for 2002. National Vital Statistics Reports, 52(10). Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. Hamilton, B.E., Sutton, P.D., and Ventura, S.J. (2003). Revised birth and fertility rates for the 1990s: United States, and new rates for Hispanic populations, 2000 and 2001. National Vital Statistics Reports, 51(12). Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. Ventura, S.J. and Bachrach, C.A. (2000). Nonmarital childbearing in the United States, 1940–99. National Vital Statistics Reports, 48(16). Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.