V. OUT-OF-WEDLOCK PREGNANCIES AND BIRTHS

One of the goals of the PRWORA legislation is to prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies. The Administration for Children and Families issued proposed regulations implementing section 403(a)(2) of the Social Security Act which establishes a bonus to reward decreases in out-of-wedlock births on March 2, 1998, and expects to release final regulations this fall. The bonus will be awarded to those eligible states and Territories that experience the largest decreases in their out-of-wedlock birth ratio (where ratio refers to the ratio of out-of-wedlock births to total births) and have an abortion rate less than in 1995. Up to five states and three Territories may be eligible to share $100 million in each of fiscal years 1999 through 2002. Data presented below highlight the status of out-of-wedlock births and teen births in the United States.Preliminary data indicate that the birth rate for unmarried women aged 15-44 years decreased from 45.1 births per 1,000 women in 1995 to 44.8 in 1996. However, because of the growth in the number of unmarried women in this age category, the actual number of out-of-wedlock births increased by about one percent over this period from 1,253,976 births to 1,260,306 births. Over the same period, the proportion of all births that were out-of-wedlock increased slightly from 32.2 to 32.4, because of a lower birthrate for married women. Approximately 500,000 teenagers give birth each year. Nationally, the birth rate for teenagers continued to decline in 1996, and has now fallen by 12 percent to 54.4 births per 1,000 women aged 15-19 years, compared with 62.1 in 1991. Teenage birth rates by state vary substantially, from 28.6 (New Hampshire) to 102.1 (District of Columbia); the highest rate reported was 116.8 (Guam). Birth rates for teenage subgroups 15-17 and 18-19 years vary substantially by state.

During the 1991-96 period, teenage birth rates fell in all states and the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands. Declines ranged from 6 to 29 percent and were statistically significant in all but three states. Between 1991 and 1996, rates fell by 16.0 percent or more in 13 states; declines in four of these states exceeded 20.0 percent. Eleven states registered declines of 13.0 to 15.9 percent, and 12 states and the District of Columbia registered declines of 10.0 to 12.4 percent. Declines of 5.5 to 9.9 percent were found for 11 states.

There has been success in lowering the birth rate for both young and older teens, with rates for those 15-17 years of age down 13 percent between 1991 and 1996 and the rate for those 18 and 19 down 9 percent. Between 1991 and 1996, teen birth rates declined for white, black, American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander, and Hispanic women ages 15-19. The rate for black teens -- until recently the highest -- experienced the largest decline, down 21 percent from 1991 to 1996 to reach the lowest rate ever reported for blacks.

These recent declines reverse the 24 percent rise in teenage birth rate from 1986 to 1991. Despite the recent declines however, the rate for 1996 is still higher than it was during the early to mid-1980's (50-53 per 1,000) when the rate was at its lowest point. The teenage birth rate was substantially higher in the 1950's and early 1960's than it is now. Most teenagers giving birth prior to 1980 were married, whereas most teenagers giving birth recently are unmarried. In 1996, the percent unmarried teenage mothers age 15-17 was 84 percent. It is important to note, however, that while most teenage births are non-marital, the majority of births to unmarried women are not teenagers.

Appendices:

Table 5:1 The Number, rate and percent of births to unmarried women: United States, 1980 and 1985-95

Table 5:2 State by State data on the percent of births to unmarried women from 1992 to 1996, the number of births to unmarried women, 1995, the percent of births to unmarried woman in 1996, and the birth rate per 1,000 unmarried women ages 15 - 44 years for 1990