In 2025, Pakistan had the highest crude birth rate among the South Asian countries, with a crude birth rate of **** live births per 1,000 of the population. Comparatively, there were **** live births for every 1,000 of the population in the Maldives in 2025.

In 2025, Timor-Leste had the highest crude birth rate among the Southeast Asian countries, with a crude birth rate of **** live births per 1,000 of the population. In comparison, there were ***** live births per 1,000 of the population in Thailand in 2025.

With an average of *** births per woman, Afghanistan had the highest fertility rate throughout the Asia-Pacific region in 2025. Pakistan and Papua New Guinea followed with the second- and third-highest fertility rates, respectively. In contrast, South Korea and Macao had the lowest fertility rates across the region. Contraception usage Fertility rates among women in the Asia-Pacific region have fallen throughout recent years. A likely reason is an increase in contraception use. However, contraception usage varies greatly throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Although contraception prevalence is set to increase across South Asia by 2030, women in both East Asia and Southeast Asia had higher contraception usage compared to South Asia in 2019. Women in APAC With the rise of feminism and the advancement of human rights, attitudes towards the role of women have changed in the Asia-Pacific region. Achieving gender equality has become a vital necessity for both men and women throughout the region. Alongside changes in traditional gender roles, women in certain Asia-Pacific countries, such as New Zealand, have become more inclined to marry later in life. Furthermore, the focus for younger women appears to be on having stability in their lives and securing an enjoyable job. This was displayed when female high school students in Japan were questioned about their future life aspirations.

The average for 2022 based on 11 countries was 1.89 births per woman. The highest value was in Cambodia: 2.62 births per woman and the lowest value was in Singapore: 1.04 births per woman. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

In 2025, Mongolia had the highest crude birth rate among East Asian countries or regions, with a crude birth rate of **** live births per 1,000 of the population. Comparatively, South Korea had *** live births per 1,000 of the population in 2025.

In 2020, Mongolia had the highest fertility rate among countries or regions in East Asia, with a fertility rate of **** children per woman. Comparatively, the fertility rate in South Korea was just under *** children per woman in 2020.

This horizontal bar chart displays birth rate (per 1,000 people) by country using the aggregation average, weighted by population in Eastern Asia. The data is about countries.

Crude Birth Rate for Developing Countries in East Asia and Pacific was 9.32716 Births per 1,000 People in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Crude Birth Rate for Developing Countries in East Asia and Pacific reached a record high of 43.07360 in January of 1963 and a record low of 9.32716 in January of 2023. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Crude Birth Rate for Developing Countries in East Asia and Pacific - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on November of 2025.

The average for 2022 based on 47 countries was 2.18 births per woman. The highest value was in Afghanistan: 4.93 births per woman and the lowest value was in Macao: 0.68 births per woman. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Fertility Rate, Total for Developing Countries in East Asia and Pacific was 1.36140 Births per Woman in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Fertility Rate, Total for Developing Countries in East Asia and Pacific reached a record high of 6.38501 in January of 1950 and a record low of 1.36140 in January of 2023. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Fertility Rate, Total for Developing Countries in East Asia and Pacific - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on November of 2025.

Crude Birth Rate for Developing Countries in Europe and Central Asia was 14.21375 Births per 1,000 People in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Crude Birth Rate for Developing Countries in Europe and Central Asia reached a record high of 30.47728 in January of 1954 and a record low of 12.87353 in January of 1999. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Crude Birth Rate for Developing Countries in Europe and Central Asia - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on November of 2025.

In 2024, the fertility rate in Tajikistan was estimated to be 3.6 children per woman, making it the highest of the countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Ranking second and third were Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, where the average number of births per woman of childbearing age stood at 2.76 and 2.58, respectively. The lowest fertility rate in the regions was recorded in Ukraine, at 1.22 children per woman.

This horizontal bar chart displays birth rate (per 1,000 people) by currency using the aggregation average, weighted by population in Southern Asia. The data is about countries.

Fertility Rate, Total for Developing Countries in Europe and Central Asia was 1.98306 Births per Woman in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Fertility Rate, Total for Developing Countries in Europe and Central Asia reached a record high of 3.47574 in January of 1955 and a record low of 1.63174 in January of 2001. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Fertility Rate, Total for Developing Countries in Europe and Central Asia - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on November of 2025.

The statistic shows the 20 countries with the lowest fertility rates in 2024. All figures are estimates. In 2024, the fertility rate in Taiwan was estimated to be at 1.11 children per woman, making it the lowest fertility rate worldwide. Fertility rate The fertility rate is the average number of children born per woman of child-bearing age in a country. Usually, a woman aged between 15 and 45 is considered to be in her child-bearing years. The fertility rate of a country provides an insight into its economic state, as well as the level of health and education of its population. Developing countries usually have a higher fertility rate due to lack of access to birth control and contraception, and to women usually foregoing a higher education, or even any education at all, in favor of taking care of housework. Many families in poorer countries also need their children to help provide for the family by starting to work early and/or as caretakers for their parents in old age. In developed countries, fertility rates and birth rates are usually much lower, as birth control is easier to obtain and women often choose a career before becoming a mother. Additionally, if the number of women of child-bearing age declines, so does the fertility rate of a country. As can be seen above, countries like Hong Kong are a good example for women leaving the patriarchal structures and focusing on their own career instead of becoming a mother at a young age, causing a decline of the country’s fertility rate. A look at the fertility rate per woman worldwide by income group also shows that women with a low income tend to have more children than those with a high income. The United States are neither among the countries with the lowest, nor among those with the highest fertility rate, by the way. At 2.08 children per woman, the fertility rate in the US has been continuously slightly below the global average of about 2.4 children per woman over the last decade.

This horizontal bar chart displays fertility rate (births per woman) by country using the aggregation average, weighted by population female in Eastern Asia. The data is about countries.

Adolescent Fertility Rate for Developing Countries in East Asia and Pacific was 15.59008 Births per 1,000 Women Ages 15-19 in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Adolescent Fertility Rate for Developing Countries in East Asia and Pacific reached a record high of 93.04162 in January of 1952 and a record low of 15.59008 in January of 2023. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Adolescent Fertility Rate for Developing Countries in East Asia and Pacific - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on November of 2025.

Adolescent Fertility Rate for Developing Countries in Europe and Central Asia was 19.43135 Births per 1,000 Women Ages 15-19 in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Adolescent Fertility Rate for Developing Countries in Europe and Central Asia reached a record high of 54.20183 in January of 1987 and a record low of 19.43135 in January of 2023. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Adolescent Fertility Rate for Developing Countries in Europe and Central Asia - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on November of 2025.

Abstract

The 1993 National Demographic Survey (NDS) is a nationally representative sample survey of women age 15-49 designed to collect information on fertility; family planning; infant, child and maternal mortality; and maternal and child health. The survey was conducted between April and June 1993. The 1993 NDS was carried out by the National Statistics Office in collaboration with the Department of Health, the University of the Philippines Population Institute, and other agencies concerned with population, health and family planning issues. Funding for the 1993 NDS was provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development through the Demographic and Health Surveys Program.

Close to 13,000 households throughout the country were visited during the survey and more than 15,000 women age 15-49 were interviewed. The results show that fertility in the Philippines continues its gradual decline. At current levels, Filipino women will give birth on average to 4.1 children during their reproductive years, 0.2 children less than that recorded in 1988. However, the total fertility rate in the Philippines remains high in comparison to the level achieved in the neighboring Southeast Asian countries.

The primary objective of the 1993 NDS is to provide up-to-date inform ation on fertility and mortality levels; nuptiality; fertility preferences; awareness, approval, and use of family planning methods; breastfeeding practices; and maternal and child health. This information is intended to assist policymakers and administrators in evaluating and designing programs and strategies for improving health and family planning services in 'the country.

MAIN RESULTS

Fertility varies significantly by region and socioeconomic characteristics. Urban women have on average 1.3 children less than rural women, and uneducated women have one child more than women with college education. Women in Bicol have on average 3 more children than women living in Metropolitan Manila.

Virtually all women know of a family planning method; the pill, female sterilization, IUD and condom are known to over 90 percent of women. Four in 10 married women are currently using contraception. The most popular method is female sterilization ( 12 percent), followed by the piU (9 percent), and natural family planning and withdrawal, both used by 7 percent of married women.

Contraceptive use is highest in Northern Mindanao, Central Visayas and Southern Mindanao, in urban areas, and among women with higher than secondary education. The contraceptive prevalence rate in the Philippines is markedly lower than in the neighboring Southeast Asian countries; the percentage of married women who were using family planning in Thailand was 66 percent in 1987, and 50 percent in Indonesia in 199l.

The majority of contraceptive users obtain their methods from a public service provider (70 percent). Government health facilities mainly provide permanent methods, while barangay health stations or health centers are the main sources for the pill, IUD and condom.

Although Filipino women already marry at a relatively higher age, they continue to delay the age at which they first married. Half of Filipino women marry at age 21.6. Most women have their first sexual intercourse after marriage.

Half of married women say that they want no more children, and 12 percent have been sterilized. An additional 19 percent want to wait at least two years before having another child. Almost two thirds of women in the Philippines express a preference for having 3 or less children. Results from the survey indicate that if all unwanted births were avoided, the total fertility rate would be 2.9 children, which is almost 30 percent less than the observed rate,

More than one quarter of married women in the Philippines are not using any contraceptive method, but want to delay their next birth for two years or more (12 percent), or want to stop childbearing (14 percent). If the potential demand for family planning is satisfied, the contraceptive prevalence rate could increase to 69 percent. The demand for stopping childbearing is about twice the level for spacing (45 and 23 percent, respectively).

Information on various aspects of maternal and child health---antenatal care, vaccination, breastfeeding and food supplementation, and illness was collected in the 1993 NDS on births in the five years preceding the survey. The findings show that 8 in 10 children under five were bom to mothers who received antenatal care from either midwives or nurses (45 percent) or doctors (38 percent). Delivery by a medical personnel is received by more than half of children born in the five years preceding the survey. However, the majority of deliveries occurred at home.

Tetanus, a leading cause of infant deaths, can be prevented by immunization of the mother during pregnancy. In the Philippines, two thirds of bitlhs in the five years preceding the survey were to mothers who received a tetanus toxoid injection during pregnancy.

Based on reports of mothers and information obtained from health cards, 90 percent of children aged 12-23 months have received shots of the BCG as well as the first doses of DPT and polio, and 81 percent have received immunization from measles. Immunization coverage declines with doses; the drop out rate is 3 to 5 percent for children receiving the full dose series of DPT and polio. Overall, 7 in 10 children age 12-23 months have received immunization against the six principal childhood diseases---polio, diphtheria, ~rtussis, tetanus, measles and tuberculosis.

During the two weeks preceding the survey, 1 in 10 children under 5 had diarrhea. Four in ten of these children were not treated. Among those who were treated, 27 percent were given oral rehydration salts, 36 percent were given recommended home solution or increased fluids.

Breasffeeding is less common in the Philippines than in many other developing countries. Overall, a total of 13 percent of children born in the 5 years preceding the survey were not breastfed at all. On the other hand, bottle feeding, a widely discouraged practice, is relatively common in the Philippines. Children are weaned at an early age; one in four children age 2-3 months were exclusively breastfed, and the mean duration of breastfeeding is less than 3 months.

Infant and child mortality in the Philippines have declined significantly in the past two decades. For every 1,000 live births, 34 infants died before their first birthday. Childhood mortality varies significantly by mother's residence and education. The mortality of urban infants is about 40 percent lower than that of rural infants. The probability of dying among infants whose mother had no formal schooling is twice as high as infants whose mother have secondary or higher education. Children of mothers who are too young or too old when they give birth, have too many prior births, or give birth at short intervals have an elevated mortality risk. Mortality risk is highest for children born to mothers under age 19.

The 1993 NDS also collected information necessary for the calculation of adult and maternal mortality using the sisterhood method. For both males and females, at all ages, male mortality is higher than that of females. Matemal mortality ratio for the 1980-1986 is estimated at 213 per 100,000 births, and for the 1987-1993 period 209 per 100,000 births. However, due to the small number of sibling deaths reported in the survey, age-specific rates should be used with caution.

Information on health and family planning services available to the residents of the 1993 NDS barangay was collected from a group of respondents in each location. Distance and time to reach a family planning service provider has insignificant association with whether a woman uses contraception or the choice of contraception being used. On the other hand, being close to a hospital increases the likelihood that antenatal care and births are to respondents who receive ANC and are delivered by a medical personnel or delivered in a health facility.

Geographic coverage

National. The main objective of the 1993 NDS sample is to allow analysis to be carried out for urban and rural areas separately, for 14 of the 15 regions in the country. Due to the recent formation of the 15th region, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the sample did not allow for a separate estimate for this region.

Analysis unit

• Household
• Women age 15-49

Universe

The population covered by the 1993 Phillipines NDS is defined as the universe of all females age 15-49 years, who are members of the sample household or visitors present at the time of interview and had slept in the sample households the night prior to the time of interview, regardless of marital status.

Kind of data

Sample survey data

Sampling procedure

The main objective of the 1993 National Demographic Survey (NDS) sample is to provide estimates with an acceptable precision for sociodemographics characteristics, like fertility, family planning, health and mortality variables and to allow analysis to be carried out for urban and rural areas separately, for 14 of the 15 regions in the country. Due to the recent formation of the 15th region, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the sample did not allow for a separate estimate for this region.

The sample is nationally representative with a total size of about 15,000 women aged 15 to 49. The Integrated Survey of Households (ISH) was used as a frame. The ISH was developed in 1980, and was comprised of samples of primary sampling units (PSUs) systematically selected and with a probability proportional to size in each of the 14 regions. The PSUs were reselected in 1991, using the 1990 Population Census data on

For most of the past two centuries, falling birth rates have been associated with societal progress. During the demographic transition, where pre-industrial societies modernize in terms of fertility and mortality, falling death rates, especially among infants and children, are the first major change. In response, as more children survive into adulthood, women have fewer children as the need to compensate for child mortality declines. This transition has happened at different times across the world and is an ongoing process, with early industrial countries being the first to transition, and Sub-Saharan African countries being the most recent to do so. Additionally, some Asian countries (particularly China through government policy) have gone through their demographic transitions at a much faster pace than those deemed more developed. Today, in countries such as Japan, Italy, and Germany, birth rates have fallen well below death rates; this is no longer considered a positive demographic trend, as it leads to natural population decline, and may create an over-aged population that could place a burden on healthcare systems.