Real-time data on births per day worldwide

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

The COVID-19 pandemic increased the global death rate, reaching *** in 2021, but had little to no significant impact on birth rates, causing population growth to dip slightly. On a global level, population growth is determined by the difference between the birth and death rates, known as the rate of natural change. On a national or regional level, migration also affects population change. Ongoing trends Since the middle of the 20th century, the global birth rate has been well above the global death rate; however, the gap between these figures has grown closer in recent years. The death rate is projected to overtake the birth rate in the 2080s, which means that the world's population will then go into decline. In the future, death rates will increase due to ageing populations across the world and a plateau in life expectancy. Why does this change? There are many reasons for the decline in death and birth rates in recent decades. Falling death rates have been driven by a reduction in infant and child mortality, as well as increased life expectancy. Falling birth rates were also driven by the reduction in child mortality, whereby mothers would have fewer children as survival rates rose - other factors include the drop in child marriage, improved contraception access and efficacy, and women choosing to have children later in life.

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 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, Africa's population is forecast to increase from 1.4 billion in 2022 to over 3.9 billion by 2100.

The average for 2022 based on 196 countries was 18.19 births per 1000 people. The highest value was in the Central African Republic: 45.42 births per 1000 people and the lowest value was in Hong Kong: 4.4 births per 1000 people. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

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.

In 2024, around **** million babies were born in China. The number of births has increased slightly from **** million in the previous year, but is much lower than the ***** million births recorded in 2016. Demographic development in China In 2022, the Chinese population decreased for the first time in decades, and population decline is expected to accelerate in the upcoming years. To curb the negative effects of an aging population, the Chinese government decided in 2013 to gradually relax the so called one-child-policy, which had been in effect since 1979. From 2016 onwards, parents in China were allowed to have two children in general. However, as the recent figures of births per year reveal, this policy change had only short-term effects on the general birth rate: the number of births slightly increased from 2014 onwards, but then started to fell again in 2018. In 2024, China was the second most populous country in the world, overtaken by India that year. China’s aging population The Chinese society is aging rapidly and facing a serious demographic shift towards older age groups. The median age of China’s population has increased massively from about ** years in 1970 to **** years in 2020 and is projected to rise continuously until 2080. In 2020, approximately **** percent of the Chinese were 60 years and older, a figure that is forecast to rise as high as ** percent by 2060. This shift in demographic development will increase social and elderly support expenditure of the society as a whole. One measure for this social imbalance is the old-age dependency ratio, measuring the relationship between economic dependent older age groups and the working-age population. The old-age dependency ratio in China is expected to soar to ** percent in 2060, implying that by then three working-age persons will have to support two elderly persons.

Annual UK and constituent country figures for births, deaths, marriages, divorces, civil partnerships and civil partnership dissolutions.

In 2023, there were five countries, where the average woman of childbearing age can expect to have over six 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 6.13 and 6.12 children per woman, Somalia and Chad were the countries 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.

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.

Albania Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data was reported at 7.000 Ratio in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 8.000 Ratio for 2022. Albania Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 13.000 Ratio from Dec 1985 (Median) to 2023, with 39 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 38.000 Ratio in 1985 and a record low of 7.000 Ratio in 2023. Albania Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Albania – Table AL.World Bank.WDI: Social: Health Statistics. Maternal mortality ratio is the number of women who die from pregnancy-related causes while pregnant or within 42 days of pregnancy termination per 100,000 live births. The data are estimated with a regression model using information on the proportion of maternal deaths among non-AIDS deaths in women ages 15-49, fertility, birth attendants, and GDP measured using purchasing power parities (PPPs).;WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group, and UNDESA/Population Division. Trends in maternal mortality estimates 2000 to 2023. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2025;Weighted average;This indicator represents the risk associated with each pregnancy and is also a Sustainable Development Goal Indicator (3.1.1) for monitoring maternal health.

This statistic shows the 20 countries* with the highest infant mortality rate in 2024. An estimated 101.3 infants per 1,000 live births died in the first year of life in Afghanistan in 2024. Infant and child mortality Infant mortality usually refers to the death of children younger than one year. Child mortality, which is often used synonymously with infant mortality, is the death of children younger than five. Among the main causes are pneumonia, diarrhea – which causes dehydration – and infections in newborns, with malnutrition also posing a severe problem. As can be seen above, most countries with a high infant mortality rate are developing countries or emerging countries, most of which are located in Africa. Good health care and hygiene are crucial in reducing child mortality; among the countries with the lowest infant mortality rate are exclusively developed countries, whose inhabitants usually have access to clean water and comprehensive health care. Access to vaccinations, antibiotics and a balanced nutrition also help reducing child mortality in these regions. In some countries, infants are killed if they turn out to be of a certain gender. India, for example, is known as a country where a lot of girls are aborted or killed right after birth, as they are considered to be too expensive for poorer families, who traditionally have to pay a costly dowry on the girl’s wedding day. Interestingly, the global mortality rate among boys is higher than that for girls, which could be due to the fact that more male infants are actually born than female ones. Other theories include a stronger immune system in girls, or more premature births among boys.

Sri Lanka LK: Mortality Rate: Infant: Male: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 8.800 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 9.100 Ratio for 2015. Sri Lanka LK: Mortality Rate: Infant: Male: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 10.600 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2016, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 19.600 Ratio in 1990 and a record low of 8.800 Ratio in 2016. Sri Lanka LK: Mortality Rate: Infant: Male: per 1000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Sri Lanka – Table LK.World Bank: Health Statistics. Infant mortality rate, male is the number of male infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 male live births in a given year.; ; Estimates developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org.; Weighted Average; Given that data on the incidence and prevalence of diseases are frequently unavailable, mortality rates are often used to identify vulnerable populations. Moreover, they are among the indicators most frequently used to compare socioeconomic development across countries. Under-five mortality rates are higher for boys than for girls in countries in which parental gender preferences are insignificant. Under-five mortality captures the effect of gender discrimination better than infant mortality does, as malnutrition and medical interventions have more significant impacts to this age group. Where female under-five mortality is higher, girls are likely to have less access to resources than boys.

Over the past decade, the birth rate in Italy has constantly decreased – in 2024, 6.3 children were estimated to be born per 1,000 inhabitants, three infants less than in 2002. The region with the highest birth rate in the country was Trentino-South Tyrol, where 7.6 children were born per 1,000 residents. Italian mothers are older and older Similar to citizens of other European countries, Italians also postpone parenthood to a later age. While the average age of an Italian mother at childbirth in the 1990s was 29.9 years, in 2024 females giving birth were roughly 32.6 years. Italy, a country with one of the lowest fertility rates in the world If compared with the fertility rates around the world, Italy was one of the 20 countries which registered the lowest fertility rate in 2024. The leader of the global ranking was Taiwan, where only 1.11 babies were born per woman.

Mexico MX: Maternal Mortality Ratio: National Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data was reported at 38.200 Ratio in 2013. This records a decrease from the previous number of 42.300 Ratio for 2012. Mexico MX: Maternal Mortality Ratio: National Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 53.550 Ratio from Dec 2004 (Median) to 2013, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 63.300 Ratio in 2009 and a record low of 38.200 Ratio in 2013. Mexico MX: Maternal Mortality Ratio: National Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mexico – Table MX.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Maternal mortality ratio is the number of women who die from pregnancy-related causes while pregnant or within 42 days of pregnancy termination per 100,000 live births.; ; UNICEF, State of the World's Children, Childinfo, and Demographic and Health Surveys.; ;

For most of human history, pregnancy and childbirth were very risky; mothers would die in at least 1 in 100 pregnancies.1

Since the average woman would have at least four or five children, the lifetime risk of dying from maternal causes would be at least 1 in 25.2 This was true everywhere.

Thankfully, that’s no longer the case. We’ve made huge strides in not only protecting infants in childbirth and the early stages of their lives, but we’ve also made it much safer for women.

But we’re not done yet. There are still huge inequalities in the risks of pregnancy across the world. Pregnant women in countries like Sierra Leone and Kenya are around 100 times more likely to die during pregnancy or childbirth than those in countries like Norway, Sweden, or Germany.3 But it doesn’t have to be this way. We could save hundreds of thousands of lives a year by closing these gaps.

I’ve compared three scenarios in the chart below to clarify these points.

First, we can see that the situation today is awful. 286,000 women died from maternal causes in 2020.4 That’s 784 deaths per day on average, or one mother dying every two minutes.5

Second, we can consider the very high maternal mortality rates of the past. Particularly good long-term data is available for Finland or Sweden, which shows that in 1750, around 900 women died per 100,000 live births.6 Since there were 135 million births in 2020, I calculate that 1.2 million women would have died from maternal causes that year if these rates hadn’t improved.7 Things are much, much better than they used to be.

Finally, things can still be much better. We know this because some countries have maternal mortality rates that are far lower than the global average. And they all used to be in a similar position to the worst-off countries today. In Europe, the maternal mortality rate was 8 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. That’s around 25 times lower than the global average.8 If all countries could achieve the same outcomes as Europe, 11,000 women would have died from maternal causes in 2020 — a small fraction of the 286,000 deaths that occurred.9

Providing the best conditions for women everywhere would reduce the global death toll by 275,000 maternal deaths a year.

Romania RO: Sex Ratio at Birth: Male Births per Female Births data was reported at 1.058 Ratio in 2016. This stayed constant from the previous number of 1.058 Ratio for 2015. Romania RO: Sex Ratio at Birth: Male Births per Female Births data is updated yearly, averaging 1.058 Ratio from Dec 1962 (Median) to 2016, with 20 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.058 Ratio in 2016 and a record low of 1.058 Ratio in 2016. Romania RO: Sex Ratio at Birth: Male Births per Female Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Romania – Table RO.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Sex ratio at birth refers to male births per female births. The data are 5 year averages.; ; United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average;

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.

Provisional counts of the number of deaths registered in England and Wales, by age, sex, region and Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), in the latest weeks for which data are available.

Components of population growth, annual: births, deaths, immigrants, emigrants, returning emigrants, net temporary emigrants, net interprovincial migration, net non-permanent residents, residual deviation.