	Teen Birth Rates Have Declined, but Proportion of Unmarried Mothers Has Increased

Since the late 1950s, the birth rate of women aged 15 to 19 has decreased by about 41 percent overall. 1.) Decline in Teen Birth Rate Parallels Decline in Birth Rate for All Women

In 1995, the most recent year for which final data are available, the annual birth rate for women aged 15 through 19 was approximately 57 per thousand, compared with 96 per thousand in 1957 when the rate was at its peak. 1.) Rates for black and Hispanic teens were more than double those of white teens, and older teens constituted nearly two-thirds of teens who gave birth in 1995. 2.) About two-thirds of teen mothers graduated from high school; however, teen mothers graduated at substantially lower rates than teen women without children. Nearly Half of Teen Mothers Are White, and Most Are Age 18 or Older and Unmarried

Almost half of the 512,000 births in 1995 (233,000) were to white teen mothers. 3.) 4.) Many Teens Who Gave Birth in 1995 Already Had at Least One Child

In 1995, more than one-fifth of all teen births in the United States were to teenage women who had already given birth to at least one child. 5.) A recent education study shows that about 64 percent of teen mothers graduated from high school or earned a general equivalency diploma within 2 years after the time they would have graduated, compared with about 94 percent of teenage women who did not give birth. Also, high school completion rates among teen mothers vary considerably by race. School Involvement and Family Background Influence the Likelihood of Teenage Motherhood

Certain social factors, such as the teen’s level of school involvement or family background and income, appear to influence the likelihood that a woman will give birth in her teenage years. Generally, lower school involvement, unstable family structure, and declining family income are associated with an increased likelihood of teen births. 6.) However, recent multivariate analysis shows that the effect of SES on teen births varies by race and ethnicity.
Why GAO Did This Study

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided social and demographic information about teen mothers, focusing on: (1) trends in birth rates for teens; (2) a profile of teen mothers; and (3) factors, such as education or family background, that may influence the likelihood of teen motherhood.

What GAO Found

GAO noted that: (1) although the birth rate for teenage women decreased 41 percent from the late 1950s to 1995--paralleling the decline in the U.S. birth rate--the number of babies born to teenagers is still high; (2) births to unmarried teenage mothers, however, more than quintupled as a proportion of total teen births over the same period; (3) as of 1995, the teen birth rate was about 57 per thousand; however, rates varied considerably by subgroup; (4) the birth rates for black and Hispanic teenage women are more than twice those for white teens; (5) in 1995, nearly half of teen mothers were white and most were aged 18 to 19 and unmarried; (6) about two-thirds of recent teen mothers did not intend to get pregnant or have a child; however, about one-fifth of women who gave birth already had one child; (7) teenage mothers also graduate from high school at lower rates than all teen women; (8) 64 percent of teen mothers complete high school, compared with about 90 percent of all teen women; (9) research studies that have examined the antecedents of teen motherhood have shown that limited involvement in school and some family background characteristics--such as family instability and declines in family income--are associated with increased likelihood of teen motherhood; and (10) the effect of most factors varies among racial and ethnic groups.