A report conducted by Saul Hoffman, Ph.D. of the University of Delaware, released yesterday by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, revealed that in 2008, teen pregnancies cost taxpayers $10.9 billion, which includes a $2.3 billion increase in public-sector health costs and $2.8 billion in increased welfare costs. The costs of foster care, incarceration, and lost tax revenue also factor into the total.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that approximately 409,840 babies were born to women between 15 and 19 years old in 2009. Between 2007 and 2009, the teen birth rate decreased 8 percent to 39.1 births per 1,000 teens between the ages of 15 and 19. For teens 18-19 years old, the birth rate fell in 45 states and decreased overall six percent, which represents the greatest decline in one year since 1972. According to the report, the reduction in the teen birth rate saved taxpayers approximately $8.4 billion in 2008 alone.
