Monday, May 17, 2021

Below Replacement Fertility for College Graduates

The average woman will have 1.7 children in her lifetime according to a National Center for Health Statistics' analysis of 2019 fertility rates by educational attainment. This rate is well below the replacement rate of 2.1 children per woman. 

Note: The total fertility rate (TFR), as this measure is called, fell even lower in 2020—to 1.6 children per woman. 

The TFR varies by a woman's educational attainment. Among women without a high school diploma, the fertility rate is well above replacement at 2.8 children. Women with a bachelor's degree and no further education have the lowest TFR—just 1.3 children. 

Average number of children a woman will have in her lifetime given the age-specific fertility rates of 2019, by educational attainment
Total women: 1.705
No high school diploma: 2.791
High school graduate only: 2.053
Some college, no degree: 1.808
Associate's degree: 1.312
Bachelor's degree: 1.284
Master's degree: 1.405
Doctorate/professional: 1.523

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