Teen Mothers

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Serving Children, Families, and Communities

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Teen Mothers

Q:	Have changes in teen birth rates differed by race?
A:	The decline in birth rates between 1991 and 2005 was greater among black teens ages 15–17 than for teens of other race/ethnicity subgroups.

Births per 1,000 females ages 15-17 by race/ethnicity, 1980-2005

Note: Race rates include persons of Hispanic origin. Persons of Hispanic origin can be of any race; however, most are white.

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Between 1991 and 2005, birth rates among 15–17-year-old black teens declined 57% compared with 50% for Asian/Pacific Islanders, 41% for American Indians, 38% for whites, and 30% for Hispanics.
Birth rates in 2005 were higher for teens of Hispanic ethnicity (49 per 1,000) and black teenagers (36) than American Indians (31), whites (19), and Asian/Pacific Islanders (8).

Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/ojstatbb/population/qa01302.asp?qaDate=2005. Released on December 13, 2007.

Data Source: Martin, J.A., Hamilton, B.E., Sutton, PD, et al. Births: Final Data for 2005. National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 56, No. 06. [PDF]. Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics, 2007.