Official Site of The State of New Jersey
General Fertility Rate
Summary Indicator Report Data View Options
General Fertility Rate by County of Residence, New Jersey, 2022
Why Is This Important?
The general fertility rate is a more precise measure than the crude birth rate for tracking birth rate patterns. While the crude birth rate and the general fertility rate both look at the total number of live births among the population, the crude birth rate is calculated using the total population including the young, old, male, and female. The general fertility rate is calculated using only females of reproductive age, defined as ages 15 through 44 years, in the denominator. This results in a more sensitive indicator with which to study population growth and change.
Definition
Number of live births per 1,000 women aged 15-44 years
Data Sources
- Birth Certificate Database, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, New Jersey Department of Health
(https://www.nj.gov/health/vital/) - Bridged-race population estimates, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/bridged_race.htm) - Natality public-use data, CDC WONDER On-line Database, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(https://wonder.cdc.gov/natality.html)
How the Measure is Calculated
| Numerator: | Number of live births |
| Denominator: | Estimated number of women aged 15-44 years in the population |
How Are We Doing?
The general fertility rate among New Jersey women was 58.7 births per 1,000 women of childbearing age in 2022. The rate varied widely across the state's counties from a low of 50.5 (Middlesex) to a high of 96.7 (Ocean). Rates also varied by race/ethnicity. The rate among Hispanics (70.5) was significantly higher than the rates among other racial/ethnic groups.
How Do We Compare With the U.S.?
The general fertility rate among New Jersey women is currently above that of the nation as a whole after decades below the national rate.
More Resources
National Center for Health Statistics Birth and Natality FastStats: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/births.htm
National Center for Health Statistics Birth Data: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/births.htm
Health Program Information
The age range may be slightly different in some publications, so it is important to note what age range is being used especially if comparison with other rates is contemplated.