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 Japan's public health insurance started covering some fertility treatments two years ago as the nation grapples with a low birth rate. Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024 Like its East Asian neighbors — including China, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea — the island has a stubbornly low birth rate. Diksha Madhok, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024 South Korean officials are considering more than just matchmaking events to bolster the country’s rapidly-declining birth rate. Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 16 Feb. 2024 Some women CEOs in China are offering free transportation, egg freezing, and education stipends to retain female employees and raise the country’s slumping birth rate. Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2024 The country’s birth rate also hit a record low, at 6.39 births per 1,000 women. Amanda Gerut, Fortune Asia, 27 Mar. 2024 Putin is preoccupied with raising the birth rate at any cost, but there are few signs this can be changed. Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 7 Mar. 2024 Compounding the challenge, South Korea has the world’s lowest birth rate, which has been falling continuously since 2015. Manveena Suri, Lucas Lillieholm and Yoonjung Seo, CNN, 3 Mar. 2024 The county’s shrinking birth rate, controversial state politics and the lack of families moving to Broward could also be triggering it. Jimena Tavel, Miami Herald, 3 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'birth rate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near birth rate

Cite this Entry

“Birth rate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/birth%20rate. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.

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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