NM Department of Health Family Planning Program

Costs of Teenage Childbearing and Parenting to Teenage Mothers

There are about 4,400 children born to teenagers in NM each year. 

Approximately 3,500 teenage mothers give birth to a first child, forming new families each year.

Teenage mothers are less likely to finish high school and less likely to obtain a GED than women who delay having children.

Teenage mothers are more likely to receive public assistance and to stay on welfare longer than women who delay having children.

Compared to older (20-24 year old) mothers, a teenage mother will

• earn $75,000 to $200,000 less over a lifetime.

• contribute $25,000 to $80,000 fewer taxes over a lifetime.

• receive over $3,000 more Medicaid over a lifetime.

• receive $8,000 more in TANF and food stamps and WIC over a lifetime.

In total, a teenage mother will suffer economically by between $32,000 and $96,000 over her lifetime.

Costs of Teenage Childbearing and Parenting
Imposed on Children born to Teens

Children are likely to be less healthy, less developmentally able and more likely to be involved in risky behavior.

Girls born to teenage mothers are 2 times more likely to become teenage mothers themselves.

The children born to teenage mothers in New Mexico in any one year will earn $96.8 million less over their lifetimes than children born to older mothers.

The children born to teenage mothers in New Mexico in any one year will receive $180 million more in public-funded medical benefits, mostly Medicaid over their lifetimes compared to children born to older mothers.

The children born to teenage mothers in New Mexico in any one year consume approximately $1.5 million more in welfare services annually compared to children born to older mothers.

Costs of Teenage Childbearing and Parenting to Taxpayers

Teenage mothers earn less and pay less taxes so federal and state treasuries lose $180 million each year from all new teen mothers in New Mexico.

Teenagers becoming mothers each year in New Mexico receive more public assistance than older mothers over a lifetime.

• $60 million in extra medical benefits

• $50 million in additional public services 

• $4 million in additional program administration costs

Children born to teenage mothers in New Mexico pay less tax and use more public services equal to $9 million in present value over their lifetimes.

Total impact on taxpayers nationally is $320 million for the new teen mothers each year in New Mexico.

Delaying all teen births in New Mexico each year could save New Mexican taxpayers nearly $75 million annually.

Costs of Teenage Pregnancy to Society

Everyone in society loses economically from teenage pregnancy. 

Net effects include:

Mothers -

•   lower education, lower earnings, greater poverty

•   greater dependency on public assistance

Children -

•    poorer health, education and lower earnings

•    more likely to be in foster care or incarcerated for crimes

•    more likely to require public assistance

Taxpayers -

•    higher administrative costs of public programs

 The total economic burden on society from a single year’s new teenage mothers in New Mexico is between $524 million and $651 million when compared to older mothers over a lifetime.

The total economic burden on society from all teenage mothers in New Mexico is over $1 billion.

Source: “The Economic Cost of Teenage Childbearing and Parenting in New Mexico: New Estimates” published by NM Dept of Health, Public Health Division-Family Planning Program, 2006.