Policy Brief

Teen Births Are Falling: What’s Going On?

March 11, 2014, Melissa S. Kearney and Phillip Levine

Melissa Kearney and Phillip Levine examine the remarkable 52 percent decline in teen childbearing since 1991 in the United States. The authors determine the public policies, such as expanded access to family planning, and cultural changes that led to this decline, and explain why human capital investments like early childhood education and increased college access can be as important as more targeted teen pregnancy reduction efforts.