Historical chart and dataset showing Africa fertility rate by year from 1950 to 2025.

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.

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 2023, 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 2022, West and Central Africa had an adolescent fertility rate of nearly *** children per 1,000 girls, the highest value worldwide. Lower fertility in Northern Africa Fertility levels vary significantly across Africa. In 2023, Somalia, Chad, Niger, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Central African Republic 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 approximately **** children per 1,000 girls as of the same year. In general, higher poverty levels, inadequate social and health conditions, and increased infant mortality are some main drivers of higher fertility rates.

Somalia was the African country with the highest fertility rate in 2023. There, each woman had an average of around 6.1 children in her reproductive years. 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. As of 2023, women in Africa had an average of 4.07 children in their reproductive years. Africa was the only continent registering a fertility rate higher than the global average, which was set at 2.4 children per woman. Worldwide, the continent also had the highest adolescent fertility rate as of 2022, with West and Central Africa leading with 105 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 49.4 million by 2030. In general, Africa’s population – amounting to over 1.48 billion inhabitants as of 2023 – is forecast to increase considerably and achieve 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.

Fertility rate, total (births per woman) in Central African Republic was reported at 6.012 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Central African Republic - Fertility rate, total (births per woman) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on August of 2025.

Fertility rate, total (births per woman) in South Africa was reported at 2.216 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Africa - Fertility rate, total (births per woman) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on August of 2025.

Adolescent fertility rate (births per 1,000 women ages 15-19) in South Africa was reported at 51.56 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Africa - Adolescent fertility rate (births per 1,000 women ages 15-19) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

While the BRICS countries are grouped together in terms of economic development, demographic progress varies across these five countries. In 2019, India and South Africa were the only BRICS countries with a fertility rate above replacement level (2.1 births per woman). Fertility rates since 2000 show that fertility in China and Russia has either fluctuated or remained fairly steady, as these two countries are at a later stage of the demographic transition than the other three, while Brazil has reached this stage more recently. Fertility rates in India are following a similar trend to Brazil, while South Africa's rate is progressing at a much slower pace. Demographic development is inextricably linked with economic growth; for example, as fertility rates drop, female participation in the workforce increases, as does the average age, which then leads to higher productivity and a more profitable domestic market.

Adolescent fertility rate (births per 1,000 women ages 15-19) in Central African Republic was reported at 163 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Central African Republic - Adolescent fertility rate (births per 1,000 women ages 15-19) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on August of 2025.

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.

United States - Fertility Rate, Total for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa was 4.33262 Births per Woman in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Fertility Rate, Total for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa reached a record high of 6.79981 in January of 1976 and a record low of 4.33262 in January of 2023. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Fertility Rate, Total for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on July of 2025.

In 2025, India overtook China as the world's most populous country and now has almost 1.46 billion people. China now has the second-largest population in the world, still with just over 1.4 billion inhabitants, however, its population went into decline in 2023. Global population As of 2025, the world's population stands at almost 8.2 billion people and is expected to reach around 10.3 billion people in the 2080s, when it will then go into decline. Due to improved healthcare, sanitation, and general living conditions, the global population continues to increase; mortality rates (particularly among infants and children) are decreasing and the median age of the world population has steadily increased for decades. As for the average life expectancy in industrial and developing countries, the gap has narrowed significantly since the mid-20th century. Asia is the most populous continent on Earth; 11 of the 20 largest countries are located there. It leads the ranking of the global population by continent by far, reporting four times as many inhabitants as Africa. The Demographic Transition The population explosion over the past two centuries is part of a phenomenon known as the demographic transition. Simply put, this transition results from a drastic reduction in mortality, which then leads to a reduction in fertility, and increase in life expectancy; this interim period where death rates are low and birth rates are high is where this population explosion occurs, and population growth can remain high as the population ages. In today's most-developed countries, the transition generally began with industrialization in the 1800s, and growth has now stabilized as birth and mortality rates have re-balanced. Across less-developed countries, the stage of this transition varies; for example, China is at a later stage than India, which accounts for the change in which country is more populous - understanding the demographic transition can help understand the reason why China's population is now going into decline. The least-developed region is Sub-Saharan Africa, where fertility rates remain close to pre-industrial levels in some countries. As these countries transition, they will undergo significant rates of population growth.

DATASET: Alpha version 2010, 2012, 2015, 2020, 2025, 2030, and 2035 estimates of numbers of pregnancies per grid square, with national totals adjusted to match national estimates on numbers of pregnancies made by the Guttmacher Institute (http://www.guttmacher.org/). REGION: Africa SPATIAL RESOLUTION: 0.000833333 decimal degrees (approx 100m at the equator) PROJECTION: Geographic, WGS84 UNITS: Estimated pregnancies per grid square MAPPING APPROACH: Tatem AJ, Campbell J, Guerra-Arias M, de Bernis L, Moran A, Matthews Z, 2014, Mapping for maternal and newborn health: the distributions of women of childbearing age, pregnancies and births, International Journal of Health Geographics, 13:2 FORMAT: Geotiff (zipped using 7-zip (open access tool): www.7-zip.org) FILENAMES: Example - BEN2010pregnancies.tif = Benin (BEN) pregnancies count map for 2010 adjusted to match UN national estimates on numbers of pregnancies. DATE OF PRODUCTION: May 2014

All the African countries registered a positive population growth in 2024, except for Mauritius. Chad had the highest population growth rate at nearly five percent compared to the previous year. South Sudan, Somalia, the Central African Republic, Niger, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Angola followed, recording over three percent growth each. The African population has been increasing considerably in the last decades and is expected increase by almost one billion by 2050. This is due to several factors, including the rising life expectancy and the high fertility rates registered on the continent.

DATASET: Alpha version 2010, 2012, 2015, 2020, 2025, 2030, and 2035 estimates of numbers of live births per grid square, with national totals adjusted to match UN national estimates on numbers of live births (http://esa.un.org/wpp/). REGION: Africa SPATIAL RESOLUTION: 0.000833333 decimal degrees (approx 100m at the equator) PROJECTION: Geographic, WGS84 UNITS: Estimated births per grid square MAPPING APPROACH: Tatem AJ, Campbell J, Guerra-Arias M, de Bernis L, Moran A, Matthews Z, 2014, Mapping for maternal and newborn health: the distributions of women of childbearing age, pregnancies and births, International Journal of Health Geographics, 13:2 FORMAT: Geotiff (zipped using 7-zip (open access tool): www.7-zip.org) FILENAMES: Example - BEN2010adjustedBirths.tif = Benin (BEN) births count map for 2010 adjusted to match UN national estimates on numbers of live births. DATE OF PRODUCTION: May 2014

United States - Adolescent Fertility Rate for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa was 93.38639 Births per 1,000 Women Ages 15-19 in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Adolescent Fertility Rate for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa reached a record high of 155.15778 in January of 1972 and a record low of 93.38639 in January of 2023. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Adolescent Fertility Rate for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on July of 2025.

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.

As of March 2025, South Africa had the highest unemployment rate among the 19* countries that are members of the G20. The unemployment rate in South Africa stood at **** percent that year. The country has recently been plagued by an economic downturn, including energy shortages and high unemployment levels. On the other hand, Japan had the lowest unemployment rate at just *** percent. Economic inequality in South Africa Not only does South Africa top the G20 in overall unemployment, but it also has a significant level of youth unemployment, as nearly half of the young population is unemployed. Thirty years after the end of Apartheid, South Africa is also still one of the most unequal countries in the world, with a Gini score of ****. The prominence of inequality in the country makes escaping unemployment and underemployment difficult. Japanese economic slowdown While Japan had the lowest unemployment rate out of all G20 nations, as well as the lowest youth unemployment rate out of the G20 nations, Japan’s economy is still facing many challenges. With an aging population, the total Japanese population is facing a rapid decline, meaning that it will struggle to have enough workers participating in the labor market. Despite this, Japan maintains strict immigration policies, limiting the chances for foreign workers to move to Japan. Moreover, Japan has the second lowest fertility rate out of the G7 nations and one of the lowest fertility rates globally, adding another challenge in addressing population shrinkage.

The global infertility diagnostics devices market size is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.80% during the forecast period of 2025-2034, with the Middle East and Africa holding a significant market share. The market is driven by the increasing prevalence of infertility and the rising advancements in diagnostic technologies.