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<li>U.S. birth rate for 2024 was <strong>12.01</strong>, a <strong>12.23% increase</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>U.S. birth rate for 2023 was <strong>10.70</strong>, a <strong>2.73% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>U.S. birth rate for 2022 was <strong>11.00</strong>, a <strong>0% increase</strong> from 2021.</li>
</ul>Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.
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<li>World birth rate for 2024 was <strong>17.30</strong>, a <strong>5.9% increase</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>World birth rate for 2023 was <strong>16.33</strong>, a <strong>1.34% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>World birth rate for 2022 was <strong>16.56</strong>, a <strong>1.7% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
</ul>Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.
Niger had the highest birth rate in the world in 2024, with a birth rate of 46.6 births per 1,000 inhabitants. Angola, Benin, Mali, and Uganda followed. Except for Afghanistan, all the 20 countries with the highest birth rates in the world were located in Sub-Saharan Africa. High infant mortality The reasons behind the high birth rates in many Sub-Saharan African countries are manyfold, but a major reason is that infant mortality remains high on the continent, despite decreasing steadily over the past decades, resulting in high birth rates to counter death rates. Moreover, many nations in Sub-Saharan Africa are highly reliant on small-scale farming, meaning that more hands are of importance. Additionally, polygamy is not uncommon in the region, and having many children is often seen as a symbol of status. Fastest growing populations As the high fertility rates coincide with decreasing death rates, countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have the highest population growth rates in the world. As a result, with Africa's population forecast to increase from 1.4 billion in 2022 to over 3.9 billion by 2100.
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.
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<li>U.S. fertility rate for 2024 was <strong>1.79</strong>, a <strong>10.49% increase</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>U.S. fertility rate for 2023 was <strong>1.62</strong>, a <strong>2.41% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>U.S. fertility rate for 2022 was <strong>1.66</strong>, a <strong>0.45% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
</ul>Total fertility rate represents the number of children that would be born to a woman if she were to live to the end of her childbearing years and bear children in accordance with age-specific fertility rates of the specified year.
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Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in World was reported at 16.33 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. World - Birth rate, crude - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.
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<li>Georgia birth rate for 2024 was <strong>12.02</strong>, a <strong>1.4% decline</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>Georgia birth rate for 2023 was <strong>12.19</strong>, a <strong>2.25% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>Georgia birth rate for 2022 was <strong>12.47</strong>, a <strong>2.2% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
</ul>Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.
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<li>Brazil birth rate for 2024 was <strong>12.58</strong>, a <strong>1.76% decline</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>Brazil birth rate for 2023 was <strong>12.81</strong>, a <strong>1.94% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>Brazil birth rate for 2022 was <strong>13.06</strong>, a <strong>1.91% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
</ul>Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.
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<li>Hong Kong birth rate for 2024 was <strong>10.59</strong>, a <strong>1.9% decline</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>Hong Kong birth rate for 2023 was <strong>10.80</strong>, a <strong>0.53% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>Hong Kong birth rate for 2022 was <strong>10.85</strong>, a <strong>0.53% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
</ul>Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.
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Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in European Union was reported at 8.1622 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. European Union - Birth rate, crude - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.
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Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in United States was reported at 10.7 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United States - Birth rate, crude - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.
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<li>Finland birth rate for 2024 was <strong>8.56</strong>, a <strong>0.23% decline</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>Finland birth rate for 2023 was <strong>8.58</strong>, a <strong>1.76% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>Finland birth rate for 2022 was <strong>8.74</strong>, a <strong>1.73% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
</ul>Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.
In 2025, there are six countries, all in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the average woman of childbearing age can expect to have between 5-6 children throughout their lifetime. In fact, of the 20 countries in the world with the highest fertility rates, Afghanistan and Yemen are the only countries not found in Sub-Saharan Africa. High fertility rates in Africa With a fertility rate of almost six children per woman, Chad is the country with the highest fertility rate in the world. Population growth in Chad is among the highest in the world. Lack of healthcare access, as well as food instability, political instability, and climate change, are all exacerbating conditions that keep Chad's infant mortality rates high, which is generally the driver behind high fertility rates. This situation is common across much of the continent, and, although there has been considerable progress in recent decades, development in Sub-Saharan Africa is not moving as quickly as it did in other regions. Demographic transition While these countries have the highest fertility rates in the world, their rates are all on a generally downward trajectory due to a phenomenon known as the demographic transition. The third stage (of five) of this transition sees birth rates drop in response to decreased infant and child mortality, as families no longer feel the need to compensate for lost children. Eventually, fertility rates fall below replacement level (approximately 2.1 children per woman), which eventually leads to natural population decline once life expectancy plateaus. In some of the most developed countries today, low fertility rates are creating severe econoic and societal challenges as workforces are shrinking while aging populations are placin a greater burden on both public and personal resources.
The Occupied Palestinian territories, namely the West Bank and Gaza Strip, had the highest average births per woman in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA), reaching almost 3.5 and 3.3 births per woman respectively in 2024. Qatar and Saudi Arabia had the lowest birth rates per woman in the region.
The total fertility rate of the world has dropped from around five 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 five 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.
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Fertility rate, total (births per woman) in World was reported at 2.196 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. World - Fertility rate, total (births per woman) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.
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<li>Mexico birth rate for 2024 was <strong>16.07</strong>, a <strong>1.59% decline</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>Mexico birth rate for 2023 was <strong>16.33</strong>, a <strong>1.69% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>Mexico birth rate for 2022 was <strong>16.61</strong>, a <strong>1.67% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
</ul>Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.
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<li>China birth rate for 2024 was <strong>10.48</strong>, a <strong>1.57% decline</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>China birth rate for 2023 was <strong>10.65</strong>, a <strong>2.36% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>China birth rate for 2022 was <strong>10.90</strong>, a <strong>2.3% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
</ul>Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.
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Fertility rate, total (births per woman) in China was reported at 0.999 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Fertility rate, total (births per woman) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on May of 2025.
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Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in India was reported at 16.15 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. India - Birth rate, crude - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.
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<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>
<li>U.S. birth rate for 2024 was <strong>12.01</strong>, a <strong>12.23% increase</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>U.S. birth rate for 2023 was <strong>10.70</strong>, a <strong>2.73% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>U.S. birth rate for 2022 was <strong>11.00</strong>, a <strong>0% increase</strong> from 2021.</li>
</ul>Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.