2026 update: this page uses the latest data available. The newest published averages are for 2015 (first births) and 2022 (all births); we also calculated 2024 averages from CDC birth records.
The average age of first-time fathers in the United States was 29.1 years in 2015, up from 24.6 in 1973, based on CDC birth records for first births. Counting all U.S. fathers, not just first-timers, the average age at a child’s birth reached 32.1 years in 2022, the newest published figure. Our own calculation from CDC’s 2024 birth records (not a published CDC figure) puts fathers at first births at 30.1 years and all fathers at 32.1.Updated October 2026: we corrected how these numbers are labeled (our earlier version called the all-fathers average a first-time-fathers average), added the newest published data (2022) and our own calculation from CDC’s 2024 birth data, removed projections, and linked every number to its source.
Those two numbers come from different slices of the same CDC birth-certificate data. The first-births figure is from a Stanford analysis presented in the Journal of Urology (2017); the all-fathers figure is from a 2024 study in JAMA Network Open covering every U.S. birth from 2011 to 2022. As of October 2026, we couldn’t find a newer published average for first-time fathers, and we’re not going to make one up, so we ran the numbers ourselves from CDC’s 2024 birth data (method below). Either way, dads are older than they used to be. Your knees already knew that.
32.1
avg age of all U.S. fathers at a birth (2022)
29.1
avg father’s age at first births, latest published figure (2015)
26.6
men’s avg age at first biological child, CDC survey (2017–2019)
8.9%
of newborns’ fathers were over 40 (2015)
Data breakdown: Average age trends
Here are the main published numbers, what each one actually measures, and where it comes from. The fine print in the “What it measures” column is the whole ballgame.
| What it measures | Average age (years) | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| All U.S. fathers, at any birth | 32.1 | 2024 | Fathercraft calculation from CDC 2024 natality data (unweighted; see method below; not directly comparable with Ha et al.’s weighted 2022 figure) |
| Fathers at first births (mother’s first child) | 30.1 | 2024 | Fathercraft calculation from CDC 2024 natality data (unweighted; see method below) |
| All U.S. fathers, at any birth | 32.1 | 2022 | Ha et al., JAMA Netw Open, 2024 |
| All U.S. fathers, at any birth | 30.8 | 2011 | Ha et al., JAMA Netw Open, 2024 |
| All U.S. fathers, at any birth | 30.9 | 2015 | Khandwala et al., Human Reproduction, 2017 |
| All U.S. fathers, at any birth | 27.4 | 1972 | Khandwala et al., Human Reproduction, 2017 |
| Fathers at first births (mother’s first child) | 29.1 | 2015 | Khandwala, Zhang & Eisenberg, J Urol abstract, 2017 |
| Fathers at first births (mother’s first child) | 24.6 | 1973 | Khandwala, Zhang & Eisenberg, J Urol abstract, 2017 |
| Men 15–49 who have fathered a child: age at first biological child (survey) | 26.6 | 2017–2019 | CDC/NCHS, National Survey of Family Growth |
| Men 15–49 who have fathered a child: age at first biological child (survey) | 27.0 | 2015–2019 | CDC/NCHS, National Health Statistics Reports No. 179, 2023 |
Why the numbers don’t match
The average age of first-time fathers depends on how you count. Birth-record figures from the CDC’s National Vital Statistics System record the father’s age at every U.S. birth, so the all-fathers average (32.1 years in 2022) includes dads on their second or fourth kid and runs older. U.S. birth certificates record birth order for the mother, not the father, so the “first births” average (29.1 years in 2015) means the mother’s first child. A dad starting a second family can land in it, and a first-time dad whose partner already has kids won’t. Birth certificates are also missing the father’s age for about 15% of births (2011–2022), more often when mothers are young, so researchers weight their results to account for it. The CDC’s National Survey of Family Growth works differently. It asks men aged 15 to 49 how old they were when their first biological child was born (26.6 years for 2017–2019). It looks back over many years of first births and leaves out men who became fathers at 50 or older, so it runs younger.
Our 2024 calculation from CDC birth data
Published studies stop at 2022 (all fathers) and 2015 (first births), so we went to the source: the CDC’s 2024 Natality Public Use File, which has one record for every U.S. birth. Counting births to U.S. residents and leaving out records where the father’s age wasn’t stated, the average father’s age was 32.1 years across all 2024 births and 30.1 years at first births (the mother’s first live birth). The median was 32 and 30. This is Fathercraft’s calculation from official CDC data, not a figure the CDC has published.
- Data: CDC/NCHS National Vital Statistics System, 2024 Natality Public Use File, U.S. part (file version c20250512.r20250708), with the 2024 user guide for field definitions.
- All births: 3,628,934 births to U.S. residents; father’s age not stated on 362,144 (10.0%); average computed from the remaining 3,266,790.
- First births: 1,427,020 births where it was the mother’s first live birth; father’s age not stated on 143,008 (10.0%); average computed from the remaining 1,284,012.
- Caveats: ages are recorded in whole years. We did not adjust for missing fathers the way the published studies do, and father’s age is missing more often when mothers are young, so these averages probably run a little high. “First births” means the mother’s first child, not necessarily the father’s.
Demographic Insights:
- By education: Fathers with a college degree averaged 33.3 years at a child’s birth, compared with 29.2 for fathers with only a high school diploma, in 2011–2015 (all births, Khandwala et al., 2017).
- By race/ethnicity: From 2011 to 2022, Asian or Pacific Islander fathers averaged 34.4 years at a child’s birth, White fathers 31.5, and Black fathers 31.0 (Ha et al., 2024). Japanese- and Vietnamese-American fathers were the oldest groups in the 1972–2015 data, at about 36 years (Stanford Medicine, 2017, on Khandwala et al.).
- Older dads: The share of newborns’ fathers over 40 doubled from 4.1% in 1972 to 8.9% in 2015, and the share over 50 went from 0.5% to 0.9% (Stanford Medicine, 2017). Births to fathers 50 and older rose from 1.1% in 2011 to 1.3% in 2022 (Ha et al., 2024).
- Versus mothers: Across all births, fathers were 2.3 years older than mothers on average in 2015, down from 2.7 years in 1972, because mothers’ ages rose faster (Stanford Medicine, 2017, on Khandwala et al.).
In-depth analysis: Trends and implications
The average age of U.S. fathers rose 3.5 years from 1972 to 2015 (27.4 to 30.9), and it kept climbing after that: from 30.8 in 2011 to 32.1 in 2022. Researchers point to more years in school, career building, wider access to contraception and assisted reproductive technology as reasons couples are starting families later (Ha et al., 2024).
Implications: Older fatherhood is associated with higher rates of autism, schizophrenia, chromosomal abnormalities, some pediatric cancers and certain rare genetic conditions (Stanford Medicine, 2017). In 2011–2022 U.S. births, fathers aged 50 to 59 had about 16% higher odds of a preterm birth and 14% higher odds of low birth weight than fathers aged 30 to 39 (Ha et al., 2024). The absolute risks are still low for any one family. On the plus side, older fathers are more likely to have better jobs and more resources, more stable lifestyles, and to live with and be involved with their kids (Stanford Medicine, 2017).
FAQ: Common questions about first-time fathers’ age
What is the average age of first-time fathers in the U.S.?
The average father’s age at first births in the U.S. was 29.1 years in 2015, based on CDC birth records (Khandwala, Zhang & Eisenberg, Journal of Urology abstract, 2017). That’s the newest published figure for first births as of October 2026. Fathercraft’s own calculation from CDC’s 2024 birth data (not a published CDC figure) puts it at 30.1 years. A CDC survey puts men’s average age at their first biological child at 26.6 years for 2017–2019.
What is the average age of all U.S. fathers when a baby is born?
All U.S. fathers averaged 32.1 years at a child’s birth in 2022, up from 30.8 in 2011 (Ha et al., JAMA Network Open, 2024). That counts every birth, not just first children, which is why it’s higher than the first-time figure. Our own calculation from CDC’s 2024 birth data also comes out at 32.1 years.
How has it changed over time?
The average age of all U.S. fathers at a birth rose from 27.4 years in 1972 to 30.9 in 2015 (Khandwala et al., 2017) and reached 32.1 in 2022 (Ha et al., 2024). For first births, it rose from 24.6 in 1973 to 29.1 in 2015.
Does education affect the age of first-time fathers?
Yes. Across all births in 2011–2015, fathers with a college degree averaged 33.3 years, compared with 29.2 for fathers with only a high school diploma (Khandwala et al., 2017). Published data doesn’t break this out for first-time fathers specifically.
How does the average age of fathers compare to the average age of mothers?
Across all U.S. births, fathers were 2.3 years older than mothers on average in 2015, down from 2.7 years in 1972, because mothers’ ages rose faster than fathers’ (Stanford Medicine, 2017, on Khandwala et al.).
Are there health risks associated with older fathers?
Older fatherhood is linked to higher rates of autism, schizophrenia and some genetic conditions, and fathers aged 50 to 59 had about 16% higher odds of preterm birth than fathers aged 30 to 39 in 2011–2022 U.S. births (Stanford Medicine, 2017; Ha et al., 2024). The absolute risk for any one family is still low, and older fathers tend to have more financial stability.
How many U.S. fathers are over 40 or 50?
In 2015, 8.9% of U.S. newborns’ fathers were over 40 and 0.9% were over 50, up from 4.1% and 0.5% in 1972 (Khandwala et al., 2017). Births to fathers 50 and older reached 1.3% in 2022 (Ha et al., 2024).
Related: How many fathers are stay-at-home dads? · What percentage of fathers take paternity leave? · How many fathers are there in the U.S.?
Sources
- Ha AS, Scott M, Zhang CA, et al. — Sociodemographic trends and perinatal outcomes in fathers 50 years and older — JAMA Network Open, August 2024. All U.S. births 2011–2022 (CDC National Vital Statistics System): average father’s age 30.8 (2011) and 32.1 (2022); averages by race; share of fathers 50+; perinatal risks.
- Khandwala YS, Zhang CA, Lu Y, Eisenberg ML — The age of fathers in the USA is rising: an analysis of 168,867,480 births from 1972 to 2015 — Human Reproduction, 2017. Average age of all fathers 27.4 (1972) to 30.9 (2015); education and race differences.
- Khandwala Y, Zhang C, Eisenberg ML — The age of fathers is on the rise in the US: data from 1973 to 2015 — Journal of Urology (AUA meeting abstract PD13-03), April 2017. Average father’s age at first births 24.6 (1973) to 29.1 (2015).
- Stanford Medicine — Fathers of American newborns keep getting older — August 30, 2017. Study summary: fathers over 40 and 50, father–mother age gap, health implications.
- CDC / National Center for Health Statistics — National Survey of Family Growth, key statistics: births reported by men — men’s average age at first biological child, 26.6 (2017–2019).
- CDC / National Center for Health Statistics — Fertility of men and women aged 15–49 in the United States: NSFG, 2015–2019 — National Health Statistics Reports No. 179, January 2023. Men’s average age at first birth, 27.0 (2015–2019).
- CDC / National Center for Health Statistics — National Vital Statistics System: Births — the birth-certificate data behind the Khandwala and Ha studies.
- CDC / National Center for Health Statistics — Vital Statistics Online: 2024 Natality Public Use File and 2024 user guide — source data for Fathercraft’s 2024 calculation (average father’s age 32.1 at all births, 30.1 at first births).
