Teen pregnancy rates have been on the decline in recent decades, hitting an all-time low in 2010.[1] Despite the fact that declines have occurred across all states and racial/ethnic groups, there continue to be large health disparities by age, geographic region, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Specifically:
- The majority of teen pregnancies occur among girls aged 18 to 19. This corresponds to the average age of sexual debut, which is 17.[2]
- Rates among black and Hispanic teens are at least twice those among Non-Hispanic Whites. Similar trends are seen for both teenage birth and abortion rates.[3]
- Pregnancy rates for Non-Hispanic White teens is the highest in Southern states.
- States with the highest number of teens had the highest rates of teen pregnancy.[4]
In addition to the decline in teen pregnancy rates, states are also seeing the proportion of pregnancies that end in abortion decline.
Below you will find a list of the states with the highest and lowest teen pregnancy rates. The rates include births, abortions, and miscarriages among teenage girls ages 15 to 19. Data is drawn from birth records as well as estimates of miscarriages and abortion numbers.
10 States with the Lowest Teen Pregnancy Rate
| Ranking |
State |
Pregnancies per 1000 teen girls |
| 1 |
New Hampshire |
28 |
| 2 |
Vermont |
32 |
| 3 |
Minnesota |
36 |
| 4 |
Maine |
37 |
| 4 |
Massachusetts |
37 |
| 6 |
Utah |
38 |
| 7 |
Wisconsin |
39 |
| 8 |
North Dakota |
42 |
| 9 |
Nebraska |
43 |
| 10 |
Iowa |
44 |
| 10 |
Rhode Island |
44 |
| 10 |
Connecticut |
44 |
10 States with the Highest Teen Pregnancy Rate[6]
| Ranking |
State |
Pregnancies per 1000 teen girls |
| 41 |
South Carolina |
65 |
| 41 |
Hawaii |
65 |
| 42 |
Delaware |
67 |
| 44 |
Nevada |
68 |
| 45 |
Louisiana |
69 |
| 45 |
Oklahoma |
69 |
| 47 |
Arkansas |
73 |
| 47 |
Texas |
73 |
| 49 |
Mississippi |
76 |
| 50 |
New Mexico |
80 |
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[1] The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unintended Pregnancy. (2010). Teen Pregnancy Rate Comparison, 2010. http://thenationalcampaign.org/data/compare/1678
[2] Kost, K. & Henshaw, S. (2014). US Teenage Pregnancies, Births, and Abortions, 2010: National and State Trends by Age, Race, and Ethnicity. Guttmacher Institute. http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/USTPtrends10.pdf
[3] Kost, K. & Henshaw, S. (2014).
[4] Kost, K. & Henshaw, S. (2014).
[5] Kost, K. & Henshaw, S. (2014).
[6] Kost, K. & Henshaw, S. (2014).
