The average age of first-time mothers continues to rise. See charts (2024)

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The average age of first-time mothers continues to rise. See charts? ›

More than two decades ago the average age of a first-time mother was 24.9. Now, the average woman or birthing person is having their first child at 27.5 - a record high in the country. Researchers have found that a major factor in this change of age is the decline of teen moms.

The report also showed that the average (or mean) age of mothers for all births rose from 24.6 years to 27.2 over the past three decades. Over one-half of all births still occur to women in their twenties–the peak childbearing years–but the average age in this group has shifted steadily upward since 1970.

“We then applied this model to our human ancestors to determine what age our ancestors procreated.” According to the study, the average age that humans had children throughout the past 250,000 years is 26.9. Fathers were consistently older, at 30.7 years on average, whereas mothers were 23.2 years on average.

The mean age at first birth was 24.1 for women and 27.0 for men. Among women, 29.7% of first births occurred during their teen years and 52.1% occurred during ages 20–29.

Still, by examining many reports, it appears that the mean or the average age of having first child by country is 28 years old. Some women are still having their first child in their forties, in developed countries where a career prevails as a priority.

The average age of new mothers in the U.S. is 27, according to a 2024 report from the CDC. It's a record high for the U.S. as teen pregnancies drop to record lows, more couples get married older, and women in general focus on their education, careers and financial stability before having children.

Furthermore, fathers were consistently older, at 30.7 years on average, than mothers, at 23.2 years on average, but the age gap has shrunk in the past 5,000 years, with the study's most recent estimates of maternal age averaging 26.4 years.

Lina Marcela Medina de Jurado (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈlina meˈðina]; born 23 September 1933) is a Peruvian woman who became the youngest confirmed mother in history when she gave birth to son Gerardo on 14 May 1939, aged five years, seven months, and 21 days.

The oldest recorded mother to date to conceive was 74 years. According to statistics from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, in the UK more than 20 babies are born to women over age 50 per year through in vitro fertilization with the use of donor oocytes (eggs).

Is 23 too early to have a baby? ›

In terms of fertility, it doesn't matter if you start trying to get pregnant in your early 20s or your late 20s, according to Judith Albert, a reproductive endocrinologist and scientific director of Reproductive Health Specialists, a fertility center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

One factor impacting the birth rate is the age at which women first become mothers. And the mean reached a high of 27.3 years in 2021, up from 27.1 in 2020.

If you're older than 35 and hoping to get pregnant, you're in good company. Many families are delaying pregnancy well into their 30s and beyond — and delivering healthy babies. Taking special care can help give your baby the best start.

Rates of people getting pregnant in their 40s are at a record high. Nearly 1 birth in 50 is to someone over the age of 40. Most people over 40 who get pregnant have healthy pregnancies and babies.

In 2019, the oldest first-time mothers (30 years old and over) were found in Italy (31.3 years), Spain and Luxembourg (both 31.1), Ireland (30.7), Greece (30.6), the Netherlands (30.1) and Cyprus (30.0).

Additionally, 5.7% lost their mother by age 15, 17.2% lost them by age 30, and 50.7% lost them by age 50. The most common age ranges in which people lost their father were 50-54 (11.5%), 45-49 (11.2%), and 40-44 (10.8%).

The researchers found that 50% of all women giving birth for the first time gave birth by 40 weeks and 5 days, while 75% gave birth by 41 weeks and 2 days. Meanwhile, 50% of all women who had given birth at least once before gave birth by 40 weeks and 3 days, while 75% gave birth by 41 weeks.

In 2021, the average woman gave birth for the first time at 27.3 years old, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.