A recent study on Amish women in America has revealed exceptionally high fertility rates, starkly contrasting with national averages. The findings indicate that among approximately 10,000 Amish women surveyed, the average number of children is 7.2. This data underscores a distinctive demographic trend within the Amish community.
According to the study, shared by Geiger Capital on social media, only 4% of Amish women are childless, and a mere 9% have fewer than three children. These figures suggest a strong cultural emphasis on large families and a consistently high birth rate. The tweet highlighted these statistics, drawing attention to the unique reproductive patterns observed.
Further research corroborates the high fertility among Amish populations. A comprehensive study published in Demographic Research in 2025 by Stone, Anderson, and Thiehoff, which cross-validated data from the American Community Survey (ACS) and Amish population registries, reported total fertility rates generally "just over six children" per woman. This academic paper also found that marital fertility rates for the most traditional Amish groups could be as high as 11.2 children per woman, indicating minimal evidence of fertility control.
The consistently high fertility rates among the Amish stand in sharp contrast to the broader U.S. population, where the total fertility rate has declined to approximately 1.66 children per woman. This significant difference highlights the Amish community's unique demographic trajectory, largely attributed to their cultural and religious practices that often discourage modern birth control methods. The 2025 study also noted extremely low non-marital birth rates within the Amish community, at around 0.4% in their administrative data, further distinguishing their demographic profile.
