In 2024, the fertility rate in Africa was *** children per woman. The average number of newborn infants per woman on the continent decreased compared to 2000, when women had approximately **** children throughout their reproductive years. By 2030, fertility in Africa is projected to decline to around *** births per woman, yet it will remain high. The highest fertility rate worldwide Despite its gradually declining rate, fertility in Africa is the highest in the world. In 2021, the average fertility rate on the continent stood at **** children per woman, compared to a global average of **** births per woman. In contrast, Europe and North America were the continents with the lowest proportion of newborns, each registering a fertility rate below two children per woman. Additionally, Africa records the highest fertility rate among the young female population aged 15 to 19 years. In 2021, West and Central Africa had an adolescent fertility rate of *** children per 1,000 girls, the highest value worldwide. Lower fertility in Northern Africa Fertility levels vary significantly across Africa. In 2021, Niger, Somalia, Chad, and the Democratic Republic of Congo were the countries with the highest fertility rates on the continent. In those countries, women had an average of over *** children in their reproductive years. The number of adolescent girls giving birth also differed within Africa. For instance, the adolescent fertility rate in North Africa stood at around **** children per 1,000 young women in 2023. On the other hand, Sub-Saharan Africa registered a higher rate of ****** children per 1,000 girls in 2021. In general, higher poverty levels, inadequate social and health conditions, and increased infant mortality are some main drivers of higher fertility rates.

Africa birth rate for 2025 is 30.91, a 1.1% decline from 2024.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Africa birth rate for 2024 was <strong>31.26</strong>, a <strong>1.09% decline</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>Africa birth rate for 2023 was <strong>31.60</strong>, a <strong>1.27% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>Africa birth rate for 2022 was <strong>32.01</strong>, a <strong>1.25% 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 2021, Niger was the African country with the highest fertility rate. There, each woman had an average of 6.82 children in her reproductive years. Somalia and Chad followed, with a fertility rate of around 6.31 and 6.26 children per woman, respectively. Fertility levels in Africa remain high despite a steady decline The fertility rate in Africa has gradually decreased since 2000 and is projected to decline further in the coming years. Factors including improved socio-economic conditions and educational opportunities, lower infant mortality, and decreasing poverty levels have driven the declining birth rate on the continent. Nevertheless, Africa remains the continent with the highest fertility rate worldwide. Between 2015 and 2021, women in Africa had an average of 4.47 children in their reproductive years. Africa was the only continent registering a fertility rate higher than the global average, which was set at 2.32 children per woman. Worldwide, the continent also had the highest adolescent fertility rate as of 2021, with West and Central Africa leading with 107 births per 1,000 girls aged 15 to 19 years. Africa’s population keeps growing According to projections, over 46 million births will be registered in Africa in 2023. Contrary to the declining fertility rate, the absolute number of births on the continent will continue to grow in the coming years to reach around 50.1 million by 2026. In general, Africa’s population – amounting to over 1.39 billion inhabitants as of 2021 – is forecast to increase considerably and achieve almost 2.5 billion in 2050. Countries such as Niger, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea are key drivers of population growth in Africa, registering the highest average population growth rate on the continent between 2020 and 2025. For instance, in that period, Niger’s population was forecast to expand by 3.7 percent each year.

Africa fertility rate for 2025 is 4.05, a 1.29% decline from 2024.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Africa fertility rate for 2024 was <strong>4.10</strong>, a <strong>1.25% decline</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>Africa fertility rate for 2023 was <strong>4.16</strong>, a <strong>1.35% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>Africa fertility rate for 2022 was <strong>4.21</strong>, a <strong>1.31% 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.

Niger recorded the highest crude birth rates in Africa in 2023, with 46.9 births recorded per 1,000 inhabitants. Angola, followed with 41.4 births every 1,000 population, whereas the rate in Benin, Mali, and Uganda stood above 40. In Niger, Uganda, Mali, and Angola the population is aged under 16 years old. Especially, Niger ranks as the country with the youngest population in Africa and worldwide, with a median age by 15.4 years.

The average for 2022 based on 53 countries was 29.98 births per 1000 people. The highest value was in Niger: 45.03 births per 1000 people and the lowest value was in Mauritius: 9.6 births per 1000 people. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2022. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

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.

Graph and download economic data for Crude Birth Rate for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SPDYNCBRTINSSA) from 1960 to 2023 about Sub-Saharan Africa, birth, crude, and rate.

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.

Sub-Saharan Africa birth rate for 2025 is 32.82, a 1.07% decline from 2024.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Sub-Saharan Africa birth rate for 2024 was <strong>33.18</strong>, a <strong>0.06% increase</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>Sub-Saharan Africa birth rate for 2023 was <strong>33.16</strong>, a <strong>1.01% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>Sub-Saharan Africa birth rate for 2022 was <strong>33.49</strong>, a <strong>1.05% 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.

United States - Crude Birth Rate for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa was 33.15909 Births per 1,000 People in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Crude Birth Rate for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa reached a record high of 47.79126 in January of 1950 and a record low of 33.15909 in January of 2023. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Crude Birth Rate for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on May of 2025.

South Africa birth rate for 2025 is 18.50, a 1.32% decline from 2024.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>South Africa birth rate for 2024 was <strong>18.75</strong>, a <strong>0.15% decline</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>South Africa birth rate for 2023 was <strong>18.78</strong>, a <strong>1.59% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>South Africa birth rate for 2022 was <strong>19.08</strong>, a <strong>1.42% 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.

Graph and download economic data for Fertility Rate, Total for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SPDYNTFRTINSSA) from 1960 to 2023 about Sub-Saharan Africa, fertility, and rate.

The number of births in Africa amounted to around 46.1 million in 2023. The number of births on the continent grew annually from 2000 onwards. Moreover, it is projected to increase further to over 49 million by 2030.

Graph and download economic data for Crude Birth Rate: All Income Levels for Middle East and North Africa (SPDYNCBRTINMEA) from 1960 to 2023 about North Africa, Middle East, birth, crude, income, and rate.

South Africa fertility rate for 2025 is 2.27, a 0.79% decline from 2024.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>South Africa fertility rate for 2024 was <strong>2.29</strong>, a <strong>3.38% increase</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>South Africa fertility rate for 2023 was <strong>2.22</strong>, a <strong>0.49% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>South Africa fertility rate for 2022 was <strong>2.23</strong>, a <strong>0.93% 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.

Central African Republic CF: Birth Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data was reported at 46.358 Ratio in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 45.425 Ratio for 2022. Central African Republic CF: Birth Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 43.659 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 47.905 Ratio in 1987 and a record low of 41.407 Ratio in 2002. Central African Republic CF: Birth Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Central African Republic – Table CF.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. 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.;(1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2024 Revision; (2) Statistical databases and publications from national statistical offices; (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics; (4) United Nations Statistics Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years).;Weighted average;

In 1925, the crude birth rate in South Africa was just under 49 births per thousand people, meaning that almost five percent of the population was born in that year. This figure would follow the country’s trends in fertility, remaining largely unchanged until the 1950s when, following the implementation of apartheid rule in the country in 1948, declines in fertility from the government's family planning programs would lead to the birth rate's rapid decline. Apart from a brief pause in the early-1980s, births rates would decline throughout the second half of the 20th century, falling to just under 24 births per thousand people by 2000. The crude birth rate would see a brief increase in the early 2000s, largely attributed to a diversion of healthcare funding away from contraceptives to funding for treatments for the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the country, but since then, birth rates have resumed their decline, and in 2020, it is estimated that South Africa had a birth rate just under 21 births for every thousand people.

Graph and download economic data for Fertility Rate, Total for Developing Countries in Middle East and North Africa (SPDYNTFRTINMNA) from 1960 to 2023 about North Africa, Middle East, fertility, and rate.

Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in South Africa was reported at 18.77 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Africa - Birth rate, crude - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.