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.
In a fascinating article that appeared last week in Science Daily, researchers at Pennsylvania State University found that, while many factors can and do contribute to low birth rate babies, higher regional incomes can actually correlate to higher birth weights among newborns. Daniel Markind, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024 The teen birth rate has declined continually through good and poor economic times since 1990. Tom Zirpoli, Baltimore Sun, 6 Nov. 2024 However, the triplet and higher-order birth rate for Black mothers followed a different trend, climbing 21% from 1998 to 2009 and then not changing significantly from 2009 to 2023, resulting in an overall increase of 25% from 1998 to last year. Jacqueline Howard, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024 Even though the country eased the policy in 2016, the birth rate has continued to plummet. Anniek Bao, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2024 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

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 30 Dec. 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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