Population - Infants Age <1Population - Infants Age <1 in United StatesUnited States
Population - Infants Age <1
United States
Explore national- and state-level data for hundreds of health, environmental and socioeconomic measures, including background information about each measure. Use features on this page to find measures; view subpopulations, trends and rankings; and download and share content.
How to use this page
Population - Infants Age <1 in depth:
Population - Infants Age <1 by State
Percentage of population under age 1
Population - Infants Age <1 Trends
Percentage of population under age 1
View All Populations
Population - Infants Age <1
About Population - Infants Age <1
US Value: 1.1%
Top State(s): Utah: 1.5%
Bottom State(s): Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont: 0.9%
Definition: Percentage of population under age 1
Data Source and Years: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of U.S. Census Bureau, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2023.
The age distribution of the United States is shifting. Older adults will soon outnumber children. In 2020, 3.6 million births were registered in the U.S., the lowest number since 1980. This represented a 4% decrease from 2019, part of a steady decline at an average of 2% per year since 2014. Birth rates have declined further since due to pandemic-related economic uncertainty and other related anxieties.
For infants, a healthy start to life begins with healthy parents. Improving women’s health, in particular, may help prevent certain infant health issues, such as premature birth, including:
- Providing care for women with chronic conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes.
- Reducing smoking and secondhand smoking among women.
- Improving health care for women, particularly women who have had a prior infant born prematurely or women using assisted reproductive technologies.
- Promoting family planning and youth health services that can help prevent unintended and teen pregnancies.
Racial and ethnic disparities exist in many areas of infant health, with stark differences in the premature birth and infant mortality rates between Black women and white women. Addressing the root causes of these disparities is critical to improving the health of all infants.
Healthy People 2030 has an infant health objective with goals including:
Aherne, Drew, Michelle Dallafior, and Christopher Towner. “Children’s Budget 2020.” Washington, D.C.: First Focus on Children, 2020. https://firstfocus.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/ChildrensBudget2020.pdf.
Osterman, Michelle, Brady Hamilton, Joyce Martin, Anne Driscoll, and Claudia Valenzuela. “Births: Final Data for 2020.” National Vital Statistics Reports 70, no. 17 (February 7, 2022). https://doi.org/10.15620/cdc:112078.
Related Measures
Current Reports
America’s Health Rankings builds on the work of the United Health Foundation to draw attention to public health and better understand the health of various populations. Our platform provides relevant information that policymakers, public health officials, advocates and leaders can use to effect change in their communities.
We have developed detailed analyses on the health of key populations in the country, including women and children, seniors and those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, in addition to a deep dive into health disparities across the country.