Decline: The U.S. birth rate has hit its lowest point in 25 years, forecasters say The U.S. birth rate has plummeted to its lowest point in 25 years as would-be parents postpone having babies due to the poor economy. The average number of births per woman has fallen 12 per cent from a peak of 2.12 in 2007, when the economy began to falter. Now the rate is predicted to hit just 1.87 this year and 1.86...