Teen birth rate falling faster in cities than anywhere else in the US, CDC data show

Teen births rates in the US plummeted to an historic low in 2015, a new CDC report reveals.

But the figures show the dip was more extreme in cities than in rural areas.

The number of adolescents giving birth in metro regions dropped 48 percent in the eight years between 2007 and 2015.

In the countryside, however, there was just a 37 percent slump in birth rates in girls aged between 15 and 19 over the same period.

Now, birth rates are 60 percent higher in rural areas than in cities.

The number of adolescents giving birth in metro regions dropped 48 percent in the eight years between 2007 and 2015. In the countryside, however, there was just a 37 percent slump

‘For all of the areas — rural, large, medium, small — they’ve all declined across the board,’ co-author Brady Hamilton said.

‘What’s interesting, though, is that it is immediately apparent looking at the classifications that there are still differences.

‘Teen birthrates in the rural areas are noticeably higher.’

Hamilton did not offer an explanation as to why birth rates have dipped.

Specifically, the figures show that in 2015 there were 18.9 births for every 1,000 teenage women.

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In rural areas, there were 30.9 births per 1,000 adolescent girls last year.

Meanwhile, in small- to medium-sized cities and suburbs there were 24.3 babies born per 1,000 teenagers.

Racially, the biggest drop in cities was seen in non-Hispanic white girls, who accounted for just 10.5 births per 1,000 women.

However, that racial group accounted for 26.8 births per 1,000 women in rural areas.

Meanwhile, non-Hispanic black women accounted for 29.1 teen births per 1,000 women in cities, and 39 per 1,000 in rural areas. 

The decline has been more stark in some states than others.

Seventeen states saw their teen birth rate half.

Those were: These states included Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont and Virginia.