The birth rate for Oklahoma teens ages 15-19 decreased by 60% between 2010 and 2023, but the state still lags far behind, ranking 47th of 51 states (including D.C.). New Hampshire reported the lowest teen birth rate with 4.6 live births per 1,000 female adolescents. Mississippi saw the highest rate, at 24.9.
Number of live births per 1,000 females ages 15-19 in 2023.
Source: CDC & Congressional Research Service.
The teen birth rate is the number of live births by females ages 15-19. Monitoring teen birth rates are important for assessing public health, education, and social policies, as well as trends in adolescent well-being.
Teen pregnancies have adverse short- and long-term effects on mother and child.
Teen mothers and their children often face additional barriers that hinder their educational and career opportunities. Just 53% of women aged 20–29 who had their first child before age 18 earned a high school diploma, compared to 90% of those who waited to have children until they were at least 20. Since educational attainment is a strong indicator of financial success (see Women with a High School Degree), it’s no surprise that teen motherhood has been shown to reduce earnings and subsequent long-term wealth.
Teen birth rates vary across different racial and ethnic groups. In 2020, Hispanic teen birth rates in Oklahoma were 34.4 for every 1,000 15-19 year old females – nearly three times higher than the rate for non-Hispanic Asian teen birth rates in the same year. The birth rate for non-Hispanic Black teens was 30.1 out of every 1,000 females, followed by rates for non-Hispanic American Indian adolescents (26.7) and non-Hispanic White adolescents (21.8).
Infant health is also a concern. Pregnant teens are less likely to receive adequate prenatal care, which has been shown to increase the likelihood of low birth rate, childbirth complications, and transfer into the NICU.
Additionally, studies indicate that long-term effects on the child may include hindered academic achievement, socio-emotional problems, incarceration, and the likelihood of becoming a teen parent themselves.
Many teens who start families may qualify for public assistance programs, such as Medicaid (known as SoonerCare in Oklahoma), WIC, and SNAP. Maternal and infant public assistance services in the U.S. are supported by federal Title V funding. Oklahoma invested over $16 million in these services in 2023.
Teen pregnancies rise in states with heavily restricted abortion and limited contraception access for minors. When states impose stringent limitations on abortion services and contraception availability for young individuals, it creates a challenging environment that contributes to higher rates of unintended pregnancies among teenagers.
This issue brief was written by Metriarch staff as part of our Data Lookbook. Contributions and peer review were provided by Joya Cleveland with Strong Tomorrows.
Suggested citation
Metriarch. “Adolescent Health,” Data Lookbook (2025). URL: metriarchok.org/teen-birth-rate.
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