Fertility of American Women: June 1982.

The June 1982 supplement to the Current Population Survey obtained information from women concerning their childbearing to date as well as their future birth expectations. This report presents data based on this survey as well as showing trends in out-of-wedlock childbearing for women since 1947. The lifetime birth expectations of women aged 18 to 24 years are the same as for that same age group in 1976. These women have only borne 23% of their expected births and thus will contribute substantially to the total births during the next few years. A larger proportion of both childless wives and childless single women aged 30 to 34 were expecting a future birth in 1982 as compared to 1976. Comparing women who bore their 1st child at age greater than 30 to those aged 18 to 24, the former were more likely to have completed 1 year of college, to be currently employed, and to live in families whose income as at least US$25,000. Children either born or conceived prior to 1st marriage were likely to be born to teenagers 15 to 17, as compared to women 25 to 29. However, within each age group the proportion of such children was greater among Black women as compared to Whites.