The fertility rate of a country is the average number of children that women from that country will have throughout their reproductive years. In the United States in 1800, the average woman of childbearing age would have seven children over the course of their lifetime. As factors such as technology, hygiene, medicine and education improved, women were having fewer children than before, reaching just two children per woman in 1940. This changed quite dramatically in the aftermath of the Second World War, rising sharply to over 3.5 children per woman in 1960 (children born between 1946 and 1964 are nowadays known as the 'Baby Boomer' generation, and they make up roughly twenty percent of todays US population). Due to the end of the baby boom and increased access to contraception, fertility reached it's lowest point in the US in 1980, where it was just 1.77. It did however rise to over two children per woman between 1995 and 2010, although it is expected to drop again by 2020, to just 1.78.

From 1950 to 1955, the worldwide crude birth rate was just under 37 births per thousand people, which means that 3.7 percent of the population, who were alive during this time had been born in this five year period. Between this five year period, and the time between 2015 and 2020, the crude birth rate has dropped to 18.5 births per thousand people, which is fifty percent of what the birth rate was seventy years ago. This change has come as a result of increased access and reliability of contraception, a huge reduction in infant and child mortality rate, and increased educational and vocational opportunities for women. The continents that have felt the greatest change over this seventy year period are Asia and Latin America, which fell below the global average in the 1990s and early 2000s, and are estimated to have fallen below the crude birth rate of Oceania in the current five-year period. Europe has consistently had the lowest crude birth rate of all continents during the past seventy years, particularly in the 1990s and 2000s, when it fell to just over ten births per thousand, as the end of communism in Europe caused sweeping demographic change across Europe. The only continent that still remains above the global average is Africa, whose crude birth rate is fifteen births per thousand more than the world average, although the rate of decrease is higher than it was in previous decades.

Crude Birth Rate, 1991-2020

The total fertility rate of the world has dropped from around 5 children per woman in 1950, to 2.2 children per woman in 2025, which means that women today are having fewer than half the number of children that women did 75 years ago. Replacement level fertility This change has come as a result of the global demographic transition, and is influenced by factors such as the significant reduction in infant and child mortality, reduced number of child marriages, increased educational and vocational opportunities for women, and the increased efficacy and availability of contraception. While this change has become synonymous with societal progress, it does have wide-reaching demographic impact - if the global average falls below replacement level (roughly 2.1 children per woman), as is expected to happen in the 2050s, then this will lead to long-term population decline on a global scale. Regional variations When broken down by continent, Africa is the only region with a fertility rate above the global average, and, alongside Oceania, it is the only region with a fertility rate above replacement level. Until the 1980s, the average woman in Africa could expect to have 6-7 children over the course of their lifetime, and there are still several countries in Africa where women can still expect to have 5 or more children in 2025. Historically, Europe has had the lowest fertility rates in the world over the past century, falling below replacement level in 1975. Europe's population has grown through a combination of migration and increasing life expectancy, however even high immigration rates could not prevent its population from going into decline in 2021.

In the United States, the crude birth rate in 1800 was 48.3 live births per thousand people, meaning that 4.8 percent of the population had been born in that year. Between 1815 and 1825 the crude birth rate jumped from 46.5 to 54.7 (possibly due to Florida becoming a part of the US, but this is unclear), but from this point until the Second World War the crude birth rate dropped gradually, reaching 19.2 in 1935. Through the 1940s, 50s and 60s the US experienced it's baby boom, and the birth rate reached 24.1 in 1955, before dropping again until 1980. From the 1980s until today the birth rate's decline has slowed, and is expected to reach twelve in 2020, meaning that just over 1 percent of the population will be born in 2020.

Vital Statistics: Birth Rate: per 1000 Population: West Bengal data was reported at 14.600 NA in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 14.900 NA for 2019. Vital Statistics: Birth Rate: per 1000 Population: West Bengal data is updated yearly, averaging 17.200 NA from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2020, with 23 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 21.300 NA in 1998 and a record low of 14.600 NA in 2020. Vital Statistics: Birth Rate: per 1000 Population: West Bengal data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Demographic – Table IN.GAH002: Vital Statistics: Birth Rate: by States.

This dataset contains counts of live births for California counties based on information entered on birth certificates. Final counts are derived from static data and include out of state births to California residents, whereas provisional counts are derived from incomplete and dynamic data. Provisional counts are based on the records available when the data was retrieved and may not represent all births that occurred during the time period.

The final data tables include both births that occurred in California regardless of the place of residence (by occurrence) and births to California residents (by residence), whereas the provisional data table only includes births that occurred in California regardless of the place of residence (by occurrence). The data are reported as totals, as well as stratified by parent giving birth's age, parent giving birth's race-ethnicity, and birth place type. See temporal coverage for more information on which strata are available for which years.

Live births and stillbirths annual summary statistics, by sex, age of mother, whether within marriage or civil partnership, percentage of non-UK-born mothers, birth rates and births by month and mothers' area of usual residence.

Crude birth rates, age-specific fertility rates and total fertility rates (live births), 2000 to most recent year.

In Italy, the crude birth rate in 1850 was 38.4 live births per thousand people, meaning that 3.8 percent of the population had been born in that year. Apart from some slight fluctuation in the 1860s, between 1850 and the Second World War, Italy's crude birth rate decreased very gradually. 38.9 was the highest recorded figure in 1865, and it decreased to 27.1 in 1930. Over the next 35 years (including the Second World War and Italian Civil War) the birth rate fluctuated, but overall it dropped to 18.6, and then the decline fell consistently to 10.9 in 1985, where it then plateaued. In the 2000s, the crude birth rate did increase in the first decade, to 9.7 in 2010, before dropping again, and it is expected to fall to it's lowest level of 7.6 in 2020.

Vital Statistics: Birth Rate: per 1000 Population: Gujarat data was reported at 19.300 NA in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 19.500 NA for 2019. Vital Statistics: Birth Rate: per 1000 Population: Gujarat data is updated yearly, averaging 22.300 NA from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2020, with 23 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 25.500 NA in 1998 and a record low of 19.300 NA in 2020. Vital Statistics: Birth Rate: per 1000 Population: Gujarat data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Demographic – Table IN.GAH002: Vital Statistics: Birth Rate: by States.

Vital Statistics: Birth Rate: per 1000 Population: Uttar Pradesh data was reported at 25.100 NA in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 25.400 NA for 2019. Vital Statistics: Birth Rate: per 1000 Population: Uttar Pradesh data is updated yearly, averaging 28.700 NA from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2020, with 23 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 32.800 NA in 2000 and a record low of 25.100 NA in 2020. Vital Statistics: Birth Rate: per 1000 Population: Uttar Pradesh data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Demographic – Table IN.GAH002: Vital Statistics: Birth Rate: by States.

Number and percentage of live births, by month of birth, 1991 to most recent year.

India Vital Statistics: Birth Rate: per 1000 Population data was reported at 19.500 NA in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 19.700 NA for 2019. India Vital Statistics: Birth Rate: per 1000 Population data is updated yearly, averaging 28.300 NA from Dec 1970 (Median) to 2020, with 51 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 36.900 NA in 1971 and a record low of 19.500 NA in 2020. India Vital Statistics: Birth Rate: per 1000 Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under Global Database’s India – Table IN.GAH001: Vital Statistics.

Graph and download economic data for Fertility Rate, Total for the United States (SPDYNTFRTINUSA) from 1960 to 2023 about fertility, rate, and USA.

In Norway, the crude birth rate in 1800 was thirty live births per thousand people, meaning that three percent of the population had been born in that year. In the nineteenth century, Norway's crude birth rate generally fluctuated between 27 and 34 births per thousand people, during a time of war, independence and industrialization. From the turn of the twentieth century until 1935, the crude birth rate dropped from just under thirty in 1900, to 15.2 in 1935. During and after the Second World War, Norway experienced a baby boom, where the rate increased to over twenty children per thousand people in the late 1940s, and it did not fall back to it's pre-war level until the late 1970s. From 1980 onwards, the crude birth rate of Norway remained between eleven and fourteen, and in 2020 it is expected to fall to it's lowest level of 11.1 births per thousand people.

The birth rate, also known as the crude birth rate, is a key demographic indicator that measures the number of live births occurring in a population per 1,000 people annually. This vital statistic provides insight into population growth and is often used by policymakers, researchers, and governments to understand trends in fertility, family planning, and societal development. A high birth rate generally indicates a growing population, while a low birth rate may suggest declining growth or aging demographics. Factors influencing birth rates include cultural, economic, social, and environmental conditions. Countries with advanced healthcare systems and access to education often see lower birth rates, as families may opt for fewer children. In contrast, regions with limited access to family planning and healthcare may experience higher birth rates. Understanding the birth rate is crucial for managing resources, planning social services, and predicting future population changes on both national and global scales.

This dataset includes crude birth rates and general fertility rates in the United States since 1909. The number of states in the reporting area differ historically. In 1915 (when the birth registration area was established), 10 states and the District of Columbia reported births; by 1933, 48 states and the District of Columbia were reporting births, with the last two states, Alaska and Hawaii, added to the registration area in 1959 and 1960, when these regions gained statehood. Reporting area information is detailed in references 1 and 2 below. Trend lines for 1909–1958 are based on live births adjusted for under-registration; beginning with 1959, trend lines are based on registered live births. SOURCES NCHS, National Vital Statistics System, birth data (see https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/births.htm); public-use data files (see https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data_access/VitalStatsOnline.htm); and CDC WONDER (see http://wonder.cdc.gov/). REFERENCES National Office of Vital Statistics. Vital Statistics of the United States, 1950, Volume I. 1954. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsus/vsus_1950_1.pdf. Hetzel AM. U.S. vital statistics system: major activities and developments, 1950-95. National Center for Health Statistics. 1997. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/misc/usvss.pdf. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Statistics of the United States, 1967, Volume I–Natality. 1969. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsus/nat67_1.pdf. Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Osterman MJK, et al. Births: Final data for 2015. National vital statistics reports; vol 66 no 1. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2017. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr66/nvsr66_01.pdf. Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Osterman MJK, Driscoll AK, Drake P. Births: Final data for 2016. National Vital Statistics Reports; vol 67 no 1. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2018. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_01.pdf. Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Osterman MJK, Driscoll AK, Births: Final data for 2018. National vital statistics reports; vol 68 no 13. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2019. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_13.pdf.

Vital Statistics: Birth Rate: per 1000 Population: Andhra Pradesh: Urban data was reported at 15.000 NA in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 15.200 NA for 2019. Vital Statistics: Birth Rate: per 1000 Population: Andhra Pradesh: Urban data is updated yearly, averaging 16.700 NA from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2020, with 23 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 21.100 NA in 1998 and a record low of 15.000 NA in 2020. Vital Statistics: Birth Rate: per 1000 Population: Andhra Pradesh: Urban data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Demographic – Table IN.GAH002: Vital Statistics: Birth Rate: by States.