Shrinking American Motherhood

1-in-6 women in their 40s have never given birth

What are the impacts of remaining “childfree”?

More US women are skipping motherhood today. In 2020, 1-in-6 women reaching the end of their childbearing years had never given birth, according to a new Institute for Family Studies analysis of Census data.

This share was lower in 2016, when 14% of women ages 40 to 44 had never given birth.

At the same time, the share of women who have had two or more children declined from 32% in 2016 to 30% in 2020.

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