Births, marriages, divorces, and deaths for March 1997.

Births According to provisional reports, an estimated 307,000 births occurred in the United States during March 1997. This was a decrease of 8 percent from the provisional number of births reported for March 1996 (334,000). The birth rate, 13.6 live births per 1,000 population, was 9 percent lower than the rate of 14.9 for March 1996. The fertility rate, 60.7 live births per 1,000 women ages 15–44 years, was 8 percent lower than the comparable rate for March 1996 (66.3). The seasonally adjusted fertility rate (61.5) was 9 percent lower than the comparable rate for March 1996 (67.3). During the first quarter of 1997, an estimated 891,000 births occurred, 5 percent lower than the 939,000 reported for the first quarter of 1996. The birth rate for this period decreased by 5 percent, from 14.3 in 1996 to 13.6 in 1997. The fertility rate for the first quarter of 1997 was 60.6, also 5 percent lower than the rate for the first quarter of 1996 (63.5). An estimated 3,851,000 live births occurred in the 12-month period ending with March 1997, a slight decline from the 3,856,000 births reported for the same period a year earlier. The birth rate of 14.5 was 1 percent lower than the rate of 14.6 for the preceding 12 months. The fertility rate for the most recent 12-month period was 64.6, slightly lower than the rate for the 12 months ending with March 1996 (64.8). These lower rates continue the generally downward trend observed since early 1991. As a result of natural increase, the excess of births over deaths, an estimated 110,000 people, or 4.9 persons per 1,000 population, were added to the population during March 1997. [Rates for infant deaths are deaths under 1 year per 1,000 live births; fertility rates are live births per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years; all other rates are per 1,000 total population. Data are subject to monthly reporting variation; see Technical notes]