While the total number of U.S. births declined at the end of 2020 and beginning of 2021, the number of births at home rose. Both the number and proportion of U.S. home births were substantially higher in 2020 than in previous years, according to a Pew Research Center analysis. The number of home births rose from 38,506 in 2019 to 45,646 in 2020, reflecting a 19% increase. Meanwhile, the share of U.S. births that took place at home was about 1.3% in 2020, compared with 1% in 2019. The share of U.S. births that took place at home varied across racial and ethnic groups and educational groups.
