In 2024, Monaco was the European country estimated to have the highest fertility rate. The country had a fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman. Other small countries such as Gibraltar or Montenegro also came towards the top of the list for 2024, while the large country with the highest fertility rate was France, with 1.64 children per woman. On the other hand, Ukraine had the lowest fertility rate, averaging around one child per woman.

In 2025, the total fertility rate in Europe was estimated to be 1.41 births per woman compared with 2.7 in 1950. The fertility rate in Europe fell considerably between 1957 and 1999, falling from 2.62 to 1.4.

The average for 2022 based on 27 countries was 1.46 births per woman. The highest value was in France: 1.79 births per woman and the lowest value was in Malta: 1.08 births per woman. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Graph and download economic data for Crude Birth Rate for the European Union (SPDYNCBRTINEUU) from 1960 to 2023 about EU, birth, crude, Europe, and rate.

In 2025, the crude birth rate in Europe (the number of live births per 1,000 population) was estimated to be 8.3, which is also the lowest birth rate in the provided time period. Between 1950 and 2025, the birth rate was highest in Europe in 1950 when it stood at 22.2.

Live births are the births of children that showed any sign of life. The crude birth rate is the ratio of the number of live births during the year to the average population in that year. The value is expressed per 1 000 persons.

The average for 2022 based on 47 countries was 1.49 births per woman. The highest value was in Monaco: 2.11 births per woman and the lowest value was in Ukraine: 0.9 births per woman. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Eurostat’s annual data collections on demographic and migration statistics are structured as follows:

• NOWCAST: Annual data collection on provisional monthly data on live births and deaths covering at least six months of the reference year (Article 4.3 of the Commission implementing regulation (EU) No 205/2014).
• DEMOBAL (Demographic balance): Annual data collection on provisional data on population, total live births and total deaths at national level (Article 4.1 of the Commission implementing regulation (EU) No 205/2014).
• POPSTAT (Population statistics): The most in-depth annual national and regional demographic and migration data collection. The data relate to populations, births, deaths, immigrants, emigrants, marriages and divorces, and is broken down into several categories (Article 3 of Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013 and Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 862/2007).

The aim is to collect annual mandatory and voluntary demographic data from the national statistical institutes. Mandatory data are those defined by the legislation listed under ‘6.1. Institutional mandate - legal acts and other agreements’.

The completeness of the demographic data collected on a voluntary basis depends on the availability and completeness of information provided by the national statistical institutes. For more information on mandatory/voluntary data collection, see 6.1. Institutional mandate - legal acts and other agreements’.

The following statistics on live births are collected from the National Statistical Institutes:

• Live births by month of occurrence;
• Live births by mother's age, year of birth and by:
  • region (NUTS 2) of residence
  • region (NUTS 3) of residence
  • mother's country of birth
  • mother's country of citizenship
  • live-birth order
  • sex of the new-born
  • mother's legal marital status
  • employment status of the mother
  • mother's educational attainment (ISCED 2011);
• Live births by birth weight and duration of gestation;
• Legally induced abortions by mother's age and parity;
• Late fœtal deaths by mother's age.

Statistics on fertility: based on the different breakdowns of data on live births and on legally induced abortions received, Eurostat produces the following:

• Statistics available in the online table Population change - Demographic balance and crude rates at national level (demo_gind):
  • natural change of the population, crude birth rate;
• Statistics available in the online table Fertility indicators (demo_find):
  • the proportion of live births outside marriage
  • total fertility rate
  • the mean age of women at childbirth
  • the mean age of women at the birth of first / second / third / fourth and higher child
  • the median age of women at childbirth
  • the percentage of first / second / third / fourth and higher live births Fertility rates by age (demo_frate);
• Fertility rates by age and NUTS 2 region (demo_r_frate2);
• Total fertility rate by NUTS 3 region (demo_r_frate3);
• Statistics available in the online table Abortion indicators (demo_fabortind):
  • abortion rate
  • abortion ratio

In 2023, Cyprus ranked first by crude birth rate in live births per 1,000 inhabitants among the 27 countries presented in the ranking. Cyprus' rate amounted to *****, while Ireland and France, the second and third countries, had records amounting to ***** and ****, respectively.

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.

Graph and download economic data for Fertility Rate, Total for Central Europe and the Baltics (SPDYNTFRTINCEB) from 1960 to 2023 about Central Europe, Baltics, fertility, Europe, and rate.

Graph and download economic data for Crude Birth Rate: All Income Levels for Europe and Central Asia (SPDYNCBRTINECS) from 1960 to 2023 about Central Asia, birth, crude, Europe, income, and rate.

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

The average for 2022 based on 47 countries was 9.15 births per 1000 people. The highest value was in Turkey: 12.2 births per 1000 people and the lowest value was in Ukraine: 5.68 births per 1000 people. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The crude birth rate in Montenegro was estimated to be **** live births per 1,000 population in 2024, the highest among countries in Europe. By contrast, Ukraine had the lowest crude birth rate in Europe, at *** live births per 1,000 population.

Graph and download economic data for Crude Birth Rate for Central Europe and the Baltics (SPDYNCBRTINCEB) from 1960 to 2023 about Central Europe, Baltics, birth, crude, Europe, and rate.

Actual value and historical data chart for European Union Fertility Rate Total Births Per Woman

Graph and download economic data for Fertility Rate, Total for the Euro Area (SPDYNTFRTINEMU) from 1960 to 2023 about fertility, Euro Area, Europe, and rate.

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.

Historical dataset showing European Union birth rate by year from 1960 to 2023.