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.
The share of births to women under 25 is set to fall in every world region amid ongoing birth rate fears, new graphs show. Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025 The North is facing its own population woes and birth rate decline – and its technology lags far behind the South, which is now hoping to plug the shortfall in military recruits through innovation. Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2025 The United Nations Population Fund has warned that pregnant women are particularly vulnerable in Gaza, with hunger increasing the chance of miscarriages, low birth rate and other complications for newborns. Guy Davies, ABC News, 22 July 2025 In its broader push to boost the U.S. birth rate, the Trump administration has increased the child tax credit, implemented a new $1,000 baby bonus, and, according to reporting by The New York Times, floated affirmative action for parents who apply to Fulbright scholarships. Lucy Tu, The Atlantic, 11 July 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 1 Sep. 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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