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.
Despite significant investment—over $200 billion in 16 years—into policies, including cash incentives, fertility treatment subsidies, and childcare services, South Korea's birth rate remains critically low. Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024 China’s population has shrunk for two years in a row and its birth rate last year was the lowest since the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949. Nectar Gan, CNN, 4 Nov. 2024 China has been trying to increase its birth rate after its population declined for a second consecutive year in 2023. Reuters, NBC News, 1 Nov. 2024 Last week, Greece announced a suite of measures to help lift its birth rate through additional childcare benefits and tax breaks for parents. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 16 Sep. 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 1 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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