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# Fact brief: Does South Dakota have the highest fertility rate in the nation?
- URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-highest-fertility-rate-nation/
- Published: 2025-12-11T11:00:32.000Z
- Updated: 2025-12-11T11:00:31.000Z
- Description: A fact brief that refutes or confirms a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context.
- Author: Michael Klinski
- Tags: Fact briefs, #feature-3

## Yes. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png)

South Dakota ranked No. 1 in the nation for fertility rates in 2023, with 65.6 live births per 1,000 women aged 15-44\. Nebraska is second (65.2) followed by Alaska (62.4). 

The United States recorded 54.5 births per 1,000 women aged 18-44 in 2023\. Rates across the country have fallen since 2013, including in South Dakota. There were 78.1 births per 1,000 women that year in the state.

Then-South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem touted the state’s top ranking in 2024, saying that the birth rate shows that residents “want to raise a family.”.

Though the fertility rate is falling, South Dakota’s No. 1 ranking is a combination of family and religious values, the state's prominent agriculture sector and a strong economy, experts say. 

South Dakota was 15th in infant mortality rates nationally, with 6.34 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2023, according to the CDC.

*This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/qwec7z/sd%5Fprojected%5Fto%5Fhave%5Fthe%5Fhighest%5Fbirth%5Frate%5Fin/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)

### **Source**

CDC,[ Fertility rates](https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/state-stats/births/fertility-rate.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org)

KELO-TV, [More people going childless despite SD’s high fertility rates](https://www.keloland.com/keloland-com-original/more-people-going-childless-despite-sds-high-fertility-rates/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=But%20South%20Dakota%20also%20continuously,their%20decision%20to%20remain%20childless.)

KELO-TV, [Why SD Is leading the nation with fertility rate](https://www.keloland.com/news/why-sd-is-leading-the-nation-with-fertility-rate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)

Argus Leader, [While births are rising, South Dakota's infant mortality continues to lead the nation](https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/politics/2024/10/27/while-births-are-rising-south-dakotas-infant-mortality-continues-to-lead-the-nation/75159418007/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)

Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), [Births per 1,000 Women Ages 15-44](https://www.kff.org/state-health-policy-data/state-indicator/birth-rate-per-1000/?activeTab=graph¤tTimeframe=0&startTimeframe=10&selectedRows=%7B%22states%22:%7B%22south-dakota%22:%7B%7D%7D,%22wrapups%22:%7B%22united-states%22:%7B%7D%7D%7D&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D&ref=sdnewswatch.org)

CDC, [Infant Mortality](https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/state-stats/deaths/infant-mortality.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org)

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*This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.*