Fertility of American Women

The Census Bureau collects data on fertility in several of its surveys.

An historical perspective showing the cumulative fertility experience of women to date is available in the June Supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS), which is collected every 2 years. The CPS data are collected from two survey questions asked of women 15 to 44 years old: (1) "How many children have you ever had?" and (2) "What is the date of birth of your last child?"

The Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) includes a Fertility History Topical Module, with detailed questions about fertility of American women and men, children ever born, mothers’ participation in the labor force, and maternity leave. The SIPP has the most detailed information on fertility and it is collected intermittently.

The current fertility experiences of women with a birth in the last year are shown based on data collected from the American Community Survey at the national and state level collected annually. The ACS fertility data are from a single survey question asked of women 15 to 50 years old: "Has this person given birth to any children in the past 12 months?" Some of the tables provide detail by age and/or race. Tables from the American Community Survey (ACS) are available at various levels of geography.