Teen Pregnancy and Birth Rates

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National Rates

According to the Guttmacher Institute, the teen pregnancy rate in the United States declined between 1992 and 2002 (the most recent year for which data is available). After a rise in the late 1980s, the national rate peaked at 116.9 pregnancies per 1,000 girls aged 15–19 in 1990. A decade later, the rate decreased by 36% to 75.4 pregnancies per 1,000 women aged 15–19 in 2002. Abortion and birth rates have also declined over the past fifteen years.1

Massachusetts Rates

Massachusetts has had consistently lower teen pregnancy and birth rates than the overall United States rates.2

Birth Rates Among Women Ages 15-19, Massachusetts vs. United States, 1985-2007

Despite having low teen pregnancy and birth rates relative to most other states, the abortion rate in Massachusetts is higher than the national rate.3

Local Teen Birth Rates

Between 2006 and 2007, the Massachusetts teen birth rate rose for the first time in more than 15 years. Communities that saw an increase in the teen birth rate in 2006–2007 are shaded.

Trends in Teen Birth Rates for Selected Communities, 2006–2007 (Rates per 1000 women, ages 15–19)
Municipality 2007 Rank Number of Teen Births 2006 Teen Birth Rate 2006 Number of Teen Births 2007 Teen Birth Rate 2007 % Increase or Decrease in Rate, 2006–2007
State Total 4722 21.3 4944 22.0 +3.3
Holyoke 1 143 94.8 144 95.4 +6.0
Springfield 2 490 80.7 512 84.3 +4.5
Chelsea 3 79 79.0 82 82.0 +3.8
Southbridge 4 36 64.5 43 77.1 +19.5
Lawrence 5 244 80.6 230 76.0 -5.7
New Bedford 6 207 70.0 197 66.7 -4.7
Fall River 7 146 51.6 167 59.0 +14.3
Lynn 8 147 47.7 175 56.7 +18.9
Lowell 9 202 50.9 215 54.2 +6.5
Pittsfield 10 63 49.6 67 52.7 +6.3
Brockton 11 156 42.9 171 47.0 +9.6
Revere 12 39 37.0 48 45.6 +23.2
Fitchburg 13 91 58.2 71 45.4 -22.0
Chicopee 14 58 33.4 76 43.7 +30.8
Everett 15 37 34.9 43 40.6 +16.3
Leominster 16 38 30.3 46 36.7 +21.1
Worcester 17 242 34.4 251 35.7 +3.8
Haverhill 18 73 38.3 67 35.1 -8.4
Taunton 19 53 32.5 55 33.7 +3.7
Attleboro 220 27 23.8 35 30.9 +29.8
Boston 21 568 28.7 588 29.7 +3.5
Methuen 22 29 21.9 39 29.4 +34.2
Malden 23 28 19.6 37 25.9 +32.1
Framingham 24 65 33.3 40 20.5 -38.4
Quincy 25 22 10.6 38 18.3 +72.6

*Communities listed above are the cities and towns with the 25 highest numbers of teen births. Community data is calculated using 2005 census data. Population changes since 2005 may impact the final rates.4

Download this table of Massachusetts teen birth rates.

International Rates

Despite evidence that teens in the United States have been making healthier decisions in recent years, the U.S. still has teen pregnancy, birth, abortion and STD/HIV rates that exceed many other industrialized countries. For example, the teen pregnancy rate in the United States is nearly eleven times higher than in the Netherlands and nearly five times higher than the rate in France. The teen abortion rate in the U.S. is almost eight times higher than in Germany.

For several years, Advocates for Youth has investigated why these differences exist and what lessons Americans can learn from European approaches to teen pregnancy prevention. Below are some comparisons between European and U.S. teen pregnancy, birth, and abortion rates.5

Teen pregnancy rates per 1,000 - US 80, France 20, Germany 15, Netherlands 8Teen birth rates per 1,000 - US 48.7, Germany 12.5, France 10, Netherlands 4.5Teen abortion rates per 1,000 - US 28, France 10, Netherlands 4, Germany 4,

There are a variety of complex explanations for these striking differences. In particular, it seems that adults and policymakers in these countries provide a level of respect to teenagers not seen in the United States, resulting in increased openness about sexuality and sexual decision-making. As a result, many European teens have easy access to sexual health information and services to help them make healthy decisions.

  1. 1. Alan Guttmacher Institute (2006). U.S. Teenage Pregnancy Statistics National and State Trends and Trends by Race and Ethnicity. New York
  2. 2. Massachusetts Department of Public Health. (2009, January). Massachusetts Births 2007. Boston: Author.
  3. 3. The Alan Guttmacher Institute. (2004). U.S. teenage pregnancy statistics: Overall trends, trends by race and ethnicity and state-by-state information. New York: Author.
  4. 4. Source: O’Keefe, G., Cohen, B., & Nyberg, S. (2009, February). Massachusetts Births 2007. Boston: Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
  5. 5. Advocates for Youth. (2003) Adolescent sexual health in Europe and the U.S.—What's the difference? Washington, DC.
Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy
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