Births to Adolescents

Percentage of births to females under 19

Why is this important?

The high social and economic costs of teen pregnancy and childbearing can have short- and long-term consequences for teen parents, their children, and the community. Children of teen parents are more likely to struggle in school, be incarcerated, live in poverty, and even become teen parents themselves. Reducing rates of births to adolescents can improve future trends in health, education, and the economy. Many community factors are related to adolescents' choices and hopes for the future. Safe neighborhoods, effective schools, opportunities for structured out-of-school time activities, access to health care and health education, and employment opportunities can all influence behavior and may reduce the number of births to adolescents.

How are we doing?

The percentage of births to adolescents declined from 4.8% of all births in 2009-2010 to 2.4% of all births in 2018 and 2019. The teen birth rate in Mecklenburg County in 2018 was 18.1 per 1,000 girls and women ages 15-19. Nationally, the birth rate among this group was less than half of what it was in 2008, according to the Pew Research Center. Asians and Pacific Islanders led the way over this time, followed by Hispanics, with teen birth rate declines of 74% and 65%, respectively. Rates for white and black teens fell by more than 50% over the past decade as well.

Did you know?

According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 46% of high school students report ever having had sexual intercourse, and 11% report using no method of birth control to prevent pregnancy.

About the Data

Number of births to females under age 19 divided by all births. These data are cumulative for the previous 24 months. Areas with fewer than 5 births are suppressed and shown as N/A.

Source: Mecklenburg County Health Department

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