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
Nothing says happy Valentine’s Day like a collapsing birth rate.
—
Kate Andrews, Washington Post, 13 Feb. 2026
Finally, the letter says, the declining number of high school graduates overall and the declining birth rate make this a good time to consider making this change.
—Laura Fay, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
An aging population and declining birth rate are existential issues in Italy, but emigration further stretches the ratio in rural areas like this.
—Adam Erace, Travel + Leisure, 6 Feb. 2026
Its current stasis, whatever the exact numbers, reflects stagnant levels of foreign migration, a much lower birth rate and an ongoing net loss in state-to-state migration.
—Dan Walters, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for birth rate
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Kate Andrews, Washington Post, 13 Feb. 2026
Finally, the letter says, the declining number of high school graduates overall and the declining birth rate make this a good time to consider making this change.
—Laura Fay, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
An aging population and declining birth rate are existential issues in Italy, but emigration further stretches the ratio in rural areas like this.
—Adam Erace, Travel + Leisure, 6 Feb. 2026
Its current stasis, whatever the exact numbers, reflects stagnant levels of foreign migration, a much lower birth rate and an ongoing net loss in state-to-state migration.
—Dan Walters, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for birth rate
Cite this Entry
“Birth rate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/birth%20rate. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
birthrate
noun
birth·rate
-ˌrāt 
: 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
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