Recent data from the CDC shows the U.S. general fertility rate slipped another 1% to a record low of 53.1 births per 1,000 women ages 15–44 in 2025, extending a 23% decline since 2007 amid broader cultural shifts toward later childbearing, economic pressures, and changing family norms. Provisional figures reveal fewer total births and sharp drops among younger women, with projections from the Congressional Budget Office pointing to further softening into 2026. Traders have priced in an 80% chance the rate will not rise in Q1 2026, reflecting the persistent downward trajectory and absence of any meaningful reversal signals in early-year trends.