Tables: Births and Deaths by Month, 1995-2002
Aug. 16, 2005 — -- Federal statistics show regular seasonal patterns for births and deaths in the United States: Births tend to peak in August and September, just as deaths hit their nadir.
Experts who have studied the trends don't agree on a cause for the fluctuating birth rate -- but most suggest factors including climate, biology and cultural traditions.
Death rates are believed to fluctuate according to the flu season. When flu is common, the elderly and ill are vulnerable, U.S. government demographers say.
Below are charts demonstrating the seasonal fluctuations in births and deaths over the period from 1995-2002.
U.S. Births by Month, 1995-2002 | ||||
| Total Births | Avg. per Day | |||
| January | 2,582,009 | 10,411.33 | ||
| February | 2,409,565 | 10,661.79 | ||
| March | 2,645,413 | 10,666.99 | ||
| April | 2,537,816 | 10,574.23 | ||
| May | 2,673,858 | 10,781.69 | ||
| June | 2,629,368 | 10,955.70 | ||
| July | 2,788,695 | 11,244.74 | ||
| August | 2,813,582 | 11,345.09 | ||
| September | 2,740,831 | 11,420.13 | ||
| October | 2,694,594 | 10,865.30 | ||
| November | 2,532,156 | 10,550.65 | ||
| December | 2,631,533 | 10,611.02 | ||
| 1995-2002 Total | 31,679,420 | 10,841.69 | ||
| Calculated from National Center for Health Statistics data | ||||
U.S. Deaths by Month, 1995-2002 | ||||
| Total Deaths | Avg. per Day | |||
| January | 1,824,419 | 7,356.53 | ||
| February | 1,600,464 | 7,081.70 | ||
| March | 1,694,060 | 6,830.89 | ||
| April | 1,553,365 | 6,472.35 | ||
| May | 1,544,836 | 6,229.18 | ||
| June | 1,461,902 | 6,091.26 | ||
| July | 1,495,354 | 6,029.65 | ||
| August | 1,479,771 | 5,966.82 | ||
| September | 1,452,281 | 6,051.17 | ||
| October | 1,563,801 | 6,305.65 | ||
| November | 1,560,398 | 6,501.66 | ||
| December | 1,729,926 | 6,975.51 | ||
| 1995-2002 Total | 18,960,577 | 6,488.90 | ||
| Calculated from National Center for Health Statistics data | ||||