birth rate

noun

variants or birthrate
: the ratio between births and individuals in a specified population and time

Examples of birth rate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Teens had fewer babies on average, as did women in their 20s and early 30s, while the birth rate stayed flat among women aged 35 to 39. Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 24 July 2025 The real planetary threat is not too many people but too few: a looming drop in the birth rate that will usher in a long period of economic decline. Will Swaim, National Review, 17 July 2025 The world's changing birth rate presents assurances – and challenges. Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 24 June 2025 America's birth rate has been on a steady decline since 2007, and pronatalists − both in the White House and out − are determined to raise it. Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 24 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for birth rate

Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of birth rate was in 1856

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Birth rate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/birth%20rate. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

birthrate

noun
birth·​rate -ˌrāt How to pronounce birthrate (audio)
: the number of births for every hundred or every thousand persons in a given area or group during a given time

Medical Definition

birth rate

noun
variants or birthrate
: the ratio between births and individuals in a specified population and time often expressed as number of live births per hundred or per thousand population per year

called also natality

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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