More American women in their 30s and 40s are childless, and the numbers are rising. More than 15 percent of women aged 40 to 44 don't have children, says a report in the Wall Street Journal.

The figures are even higher for women in their late 30s, with about 18.5 percent of women 35 to 39 reporting having no children.

Overall, 47.6 percent of women from 15 to 44 didn't have children in 2014, up over a percent from 2012's 46.5 percent.

Although most Americans say they want children, usually two, they may be delaying marriage and postponing becoming parents for financial and career reasons.

Census reports found that women who were aged 40 to 50 and had professional occupations or were in managerial positions, were more likely to be childless than women who were engaged in other occupations.

Delaying childbirth is a factor in America's record low birth rate, says the Wall Street Journal, although the U.S. birth rate is higher than either Europe or Japan, mainly because of high fertility rates among immigrants, earlier first births, and social customs that allow women to return to work after having children.

To read the entire Wall Street Journal article, go here.