One in 5 U.S. Babies Born to Single Mothers

WASHINGTON —  Childbearing by unmarried women has reached its highest level on record, accounting for more than one baby in five, according to a new government study released today.

But at the same time, birthrates for teen-agers and young women have declined--in some cases to the lowest levels on record--the National Center for Health Statistics reports.

There were 770,355 births to unmarried mothers in 1984, the latest full year for which statistics were available. This was up 4% from 1983, according to the center, a part of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Highest in U.S. Capital

Those 770,355 births made up about 21% of the 3,669,141 live births in the nation in 1984. The overall birthrate was 15.5 per 1,000 people, the same as in 1983, the study said.

Washington had the highest ratio of unwed births--568.9 per 1,000 live births.

“Childbearing by unmarried women rose between 1983 and 1984 to the highest levels observed since 1940, when national statistics were first collected on this subject,” the study reported.

Increasing out-of-wedlock birthrates for women in their 30s and 40s continued as it has over the last decade. This appears to be a result of “making up for delayed childbearing,” the study said, noting a sharp rise in first births among women aged 35 and over.

Record Lows Among Young

While reporting record-high levels of births to unmarried women, the health statistics center also found record-low births among all young women--combining the married and singles.

“Although the reductions in the rates were relatively small, the rates for teen-agers 15-19 years (of age) dropped to the lowest levels observed in the United States since 1940, and for women 20-24 years, to the lowest levels ever observed,” the center’s report said.

It said the rate for women aged 25 to 29 “was lower than for any year since 1976.” These statistics have been compiled since 1918.