Immigrants account for a large share of births in the United States. Almost one in four births (22.6 percent) in 2015 were to foreign-born mothers. As recently as 1990 it was just 7.9 percent. As a share of all births, the figure for 2015 may be the in highest American history. In 1910, the last peak in immigration, immigrants accounted for 21.9 percent of births. The tables below examine births by the education, race, and marital status of mothers based on 2015 data from the National Center for Health Statistics. The data reflect what is shown on certifications as reported by the states to the National Center for Health Statistics.
Combining data by marital status with education provides an important perspective on the challenges children born to immigrant mothers may face. There is good evidence that children born to unmarried parents are at higher risk of dropping out of high school, having run-ins with the law, and other negative social outcomes. This maybe especially true for children born to immigrants because of the challenges associated with adjusting to life in their parents' adopted country. Traditionally, immigrants have relied on strong families to navigate life in a new land. The educational attainment of parents is also a good predictor of a child's likely educational level and other socio- economic outcomes later in life.
Table 1 shows that illegitimacy is common for both natives (43 percent) and immigrants (33 percent). Among immigrants, Hispanics have the highest rate of non-marital births at 48 percent, which means that 48 percent of births to Hispanic immigrants are to a mother who was unmarried at the time of the child's birth. At 77.3 percent, black Americans have the highest rate of non-marital births among natives.
Table 1. 2015 Births in the United States by Race and Marital Status
Percent Births to Unmarried Mothers |
Number of Births to Unmarried Mothers |
Total Births | |
Immigrants1 | 32.7% | 294,157 | 898,497 |
Hispanic | 48.9% | 221,704 | 453,798 |
White | 12.7% | 17,672 | 139,589 |
Black | 34.2% | 30,495 | 89,252 |
Asian/Pacific Islander | 10.9% | 22,580 | 207,610 |
Indian/Alaskan Native | 41.2% | 161 | 391 |
More than one race | 19.7% | 1,545 | 7,857 |
Natives1 | 42.5% | 1,293,902 | 3,046,058 |
Hispanic | 56.9% | 267,025 | 469,158 |
White | 30.0% | 590,886 | 1,971,769 |
Black | 77.3% | 369,460 | 477,742 |
Asian/Pacific Islander | 27.2% | 13,327 | 48,968 |
Indian/Alaskan Native | 68.4% | 21,994 | 32,177 |
More than one race | 56.8% | 39,900 | 70,215 |
Total (all births)2 | 40.3% | 1,601,527 | 3,978,497 |
1 Includes those with known race/Hispanic origin and nativity.
2 Figures are for all births to U.S. residents.
Figures for Hispanics are reported separately and are excluded from other categories.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics public-use data.
Looking at education and illegitimacy together in Table 2 shows that the least educated have the highest rates of illegitimacy. This means that these children have the double disadvantage of being born to parents who have low levels of human capital and who are unmarried. The difference between groups is very large. In 2015, for example, the relatively high rates of illegitimacy among immigrant Hispanics and the large share with modest levels of education means that 25 percent of all children born to Hispanic immigrants were born to a mother who was both unmarried and had not completed high school, and another 15 percent were born to a mother who had only a high school education. Overall, 40 percent of births to Hispanic immigrants in 2015 were to less-educated, unmarried mothers. In contrast, among Asian immigrants 2 percent were born to an unmarried mother who had not completed high school and another 3 percent were born to an unmarried mother with only a high school education. These differences likely have significant implications for the life prospects of these children.
Table 2. Births to Immigrants and Natives by Race, Education, and Marital Status in 2015
Percent Births to Unmarried Mothers |
Number of Births to Unmarried Mothers |
Total Births | |
Immigrants | 32.8% | 272,671 | 831,828 |
< HS | 51.9% | 116,517 | 224,693 |
HS Only | 42.8% | 84,025 | 196,189 |
Some College | 31.2% | 48,929 | 156,680 |
College + | 9.1% | 23,200 | 254,266 |
Hispanic | 48.4% | 205,865 | 425,100 |
< HS | 56.8% | 105,724 | 186,018 |
HS Only | 50.9% | 64,067 | 125,886 |
Some College | 40.0% | 27,428 | 68,491 |
College + | 19.3% | 8,646 | 44,705 |
White | 12.6% | 15,774 | 125,686 |
< HS | 22.3% | 1,993 | 8,954 |
HS Only | 18.9% | 4,029 | 21,331 |
Some College | 17.4% | 5,047 | 29,028 |
College + | 7.1% | 4,705 | 66,373 |
Black | 34.0% | 27,939 | 82,131 |
< HS | 38.2% | 4,515 | 11,808 |
HS Only | 44.1% | 9,192 | 20,848 |
Some College | 39.4% | 9,291 | 23,599 |
College + | 19.1% | 4,941 | 25,876 |
Asian/Pacific Islander | 11.2% | 21,422 | 190,986 |
< HS | 23.9% | 4,108 | 17,190 |
HS Only | 23.5% | 6,277 | 26,668 |
Some College | 19.4% | 6,437 | 33,239 |
College + | 4.0% | 4,600 | 113,889 |
Natives | 42.5% | 1,254,518 | 2,949,327 |
< HS | 75.8% | 247,635 | 326,632 |
HS Only | 63.7% | 481,541 | 755,830 |
Some College | 45.0% | 432,992 | 961,549 |
College + | 10.2% | 92,350 | 905,316 |
Hispanic | 56.6% | 254,651 | 449,694 |
< HS | 77.0% | 66,450 | 86,258 |
HS Only | 64.8% | 96,299 | 148,719 |
Some College | 51.9% | 79,737 | 153,771 |
College + | 20.0% | 12,165 | 60,946 |
Non-Hisp White | 30.2% | 571,669 | 1,895,237 |
< HS | 65.4% | 97,153 | 148,513 |
HS Only | 53.3% | 218,462 | 409,594 |
Some College | 34.4% | 205,324 | 597,336 |
College + | 6.9% | 50,730 | 739,794 |
Non-Hisp Black | 77.3% | 354,941 | 458,893 |
< HS | 93.3% | 68,295 | 73,161 |
HS Only | 87.4% | 140,854 | 161,194 |
Some College | 74.6% | 121,621 | 163,052 |
College + | 39.3% | 24,171 | 61,486 |
Asian/Pacific Islander | 27.6% | 12,310 | 44,654 |
< HS | 74.9% | 1,450 | 1,937 |
HS Only | 60.2% | 3,810 | 6,330 |
Some College | 45.8% | 5,087 | 11,099 |
College + | 7.8% | 1,963 | 25,288 |
Total | 40.4% | 1,530,197 | 3,787,993 |
< HS | 66.1% | 365,102 | 552,765 |
HS Only | 59.4% | 566,698 | 953,989 |
Some College | 43.1% | 482,657 | 1,119,848 |
College + | 10.0% | 115,740 | 1,161,391 |
Source: National Center for Health Statistics public-use data.
Figures by race and ethnicity are only for those with known race/Hispanic origin and education.
Data and Methods. The data for this analysis comes from National Center for Health Statistics public-use data available here. In total, there were 3,978,497 births in the United States in 2015 to U.S. residents based on birth certificate records. Births to the small number of foreign residents are not included in this analysis. Mothers in this analysis are considered immigrants if they themselves were born outside of the United States. The birth certificate records include some missing information. There were 8,681 cases included in the totals that do not indicate whether the mother was born in the United States. In terms of race and Hispanic origin, all states collect this information, but 2,911 individuals did not report a race and 32,450 individuals did not indicate whether they were Hispanic. Those that did not record race are excluded from the race figures. Those who did not report if they are Hispanic were assumed to be non-Hispanic. Two states, New Jersey and Connecticut, do not provide education data. Additionally, there are 51,631 cases where education data was also not reported in other states. In total, 5 percent of births did not have either race or education information. Figures by race and education are shown in Table 2 and do not included those who did not report a race or education level.