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.

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.

Today, globally, women of childbearing age have an average of approximately 2.2 children over the course of their lifetime. In pre-industrial times, most women could expect to have somewhere between five and ten live births throughout their lifetime; however, the demographic transition then sees fertility rates fall significantly. Looking ahead, it is believed that the global fertility rate will fall below replacement level in the 2050s, which will eventually lead to population decline when life expectancy plateaus. Recent decades Between the 1950s and 1970s, the global fertility rate was roughly five children per woman - this was partly due to the post-WWII baby boom in many countries, on top of already-high rates in less-developed countries. The drop around 1960 can be attributed to China's "Great Leap Forward", where famine and disease in the world's most populous country saw the global fertility rate drop by roughly 0.5 children per woman. Between the 1970s and today, fertility rates fell consistently, although the rate of decline noticeably slowed as the baby boomer generation then began having their own children. Replacement level fertility Replacement level fertility, i.e. the number of children born per woman that a population needs for long-term stability, is approximately 2.1 children per woman. Populations may continue to grow naturally despite below-replacement level fertility, due to reduced mortality and increased life expectancy, however, these will plateau with time and then population decline will occur. It is believed that the global fertility rate will drop below replacement level in the mid-2050s, although improvements in healthcare and living standards will see population growth continue into the 2080s when the global population will then start falling.

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

From Seeds to Stars: Mapping the Evolution of Fertility Rates Across Nations! 🌱🌟 Step into the realm of demographics and witness the captivating journey of fertility rates spanning over six decades, from 1960 to 2022. 📊✨ Explore a rich tapestry of data that unveils the ebb and flow of population growth, unraveling the fascinating story behind each country's unique fertility landscape. 🌍🔍 Traverse the peaks of baby booms, the valleys of declining birth rates, and the surprising anomalies that shape our global family tree. 🌳👪 Join us on this enlightening expedition as we delve into the mysteries of fertility, decoding the factors that influence birth rates and reshaping our understanding of the world's population dynamics. Get ready to be mesmerized by the interplay of numbers, trends, and the universal human desire to create life. 🌎🌺✨

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.

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.

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.

Explore gender statistics related to families and households, including data on both sexes, percent of total for both sexes, total live births, population, and residential information. Access valuable insights and trends for countries such as Portugal, Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, United Kingdom, United States, and many more.

Both sexes, Percent of Total for Both Sexes, Total Live Births, Population, Residential, birth

Portugal, Belgium, Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Denmark, Italy, Uzbekistan, Bulgaria, United Kingdom, Slovenia, Czechia, Poland, Ukraine, Latvia, Sweden, Iceland, Armenia, Georgia, Canada, Montenegro, Hungary, United States, Andorra, Republic of Moldova, Croatia, Malta, San Marino, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, North Macedonia, Russian Federation, Greece, Luxembourg, Monaco, Slovakia, Norway, Tajikistan, Albania, Liechtenstein, Serbia, Switzerland, Lithuania, Estonia, Turkiye, Cyprus, Germany, Finland, Ireland, Israel, Kazakhstan, Austria, Belarus, Netherlands, RomaniaFollow data.kapsarc.org for timely data to advance energy economics research.Source: UNECE Statistical Database, compiled from national and international (Eurostat, UN Statistics Division Demographic Yearbook, WHO European health for all database and UNICEF TransMONEE) official sources.Definition: A live birth is the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of conception, irrespective of the duration of pregnancy, which after such separation breathes or shows any other evidence of life such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord or definite movement of voluntary muscles, whether or not the umbilical cord has been cut or the placenta is attached.General note: Data come from registers, unless otherwise specified. In years 2003 and before, the number of live births for girl child and boy child may not add up to the number for both sexes (Total) due to the rounding up of numbers.

Key figures on fertility, live and stillborn children and multiple births among inhabitants of The Netherlands.

Available selections: - Live born children by sex; - Live born children by age of the mother (31 December), in groups; - Live born children by birth order from the mother; - Live born children by marital status of the mother; - Live born children by country of birth of the mother and origin country of the mother; - Stillborn children by duration of pregnancy; - Births: single and multiple; - Average number of children per female; - Average number of children per male; - Average age of the mother at childbirth by birth order from the mother; - Average age of the father at childbirth by birth order from the mother; - Net replacement factor.

CBS is in transition towards a new classification of the population by origin. Greater emphasis is now placed on where a person was born, aside from where that person’s parents were born. The term ‘migration background’ is no longer used in this regard. The main categories western/non-western are being replaced by categories based on continents and a few countries that share a specific migration history with the Netherlands. The new classification is being implemented gradually in tables and publications on population by origin.

Data available from: 1950 Most of the data is available as of 1950 with the exception of the live born children by country of birth of the mother and origin country of the mother (from 2021, previous periods will be added at a later time), stillborn children by duration of pregnancy (24+) (from 1991), average number of children per male (from 1996) and the average age of the father at childbirth (from 1996).

Status of the figures: All data recorded in this publication are final data.

Changed on 15 augustus 2025: The 2023 figures on stillbirths and (multiple) births are final. Final figures of 2024 have been added.

When will new figures be published? In the third quarter of 2026 final figures of 2025 will be published in this publication.

United States US: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data was reported at 1.800 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.843 Ratio for 2015. United States US: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data is updated yearly, averaging 2.002 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.654 Ratio in 1960 and a record low of 1.738 Ratio in 1976. United States US: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Health Statistics. 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.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision. (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average; Relevance to gender indicator: it can indicate the status of women within households and a woman’s decision about the number and spacing of children.

United Kingdom UK: Birth Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data was reported at 11.800 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 11.900 Ratio for 2015. United Kingdom UK: Birth Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 12.900 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 18.800 Ratio in 1964 and a record low of 11.300 Ratio in 2002. United Kingdom UK: 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 United Kingdom – Table UK.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: 2017 Revision. (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average;

Vital Statistics: Japanese Only: Live Births Rate: Per 1000 Person data was reported at 7.600 % in Jul 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 7.400 % for Jun 2018. Vital Statistics: Japanese Only: Live Births Rate: Per 1000 Person data is updated monthly, averaging 8.900 % from Jan 1990 (Median) to Jul 2018, with 343 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.400 % in Sep 1994 and a record low of 7.100 % in Mar 2018. Vital Statistics: Japanese Only: Live Births Rate: Per 1000 Person data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.G005: Vital Statistics.

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

This map shows the average number of children born to a woman during her lifetime. Data from Population Reference Bureau's 2017 World Population Data Sheet. The world's total fertility rate reported in 2017 was 2.5 as a whole. Replacement-Level fertility is widely recognized as 2.0 children per woman, so as to "replace" each parent in the next generation. Countries depicted in pink have a total fertility rate below replacement level whereas countries depicted in teal have a total fertility rate above replacement level. In countries with very high child mortality rates, a replacement level of 2.1 could be used, since not every child will survive into their reproductive years. Determinants of Total Fertility Rate include: women's education levels and opportunities, marriage rates among women of childbearing age (generally defined as 15-49), contraceptive usage and method mix/effectiveness, infant & child mortality rates, share of population living in urban areas, the importance of children as part of the labor force (or cost/penalty to women's labor force options that having children poses), and religious and cultural norms, among many other factors. This map was made using the Global Population and Maternal Health Indicators layer.

In 2025, Pakistan had the highest crude birth rate among the South Asian countries, with a crude birth rate of **** live births per 1,000 of the population. Comparatively, there were **** live births for every 1,000 of the population in the Maldives in 2025.

Hungary HU: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data was reported at 1.450 Ratio in 2016. This stayed constant from the previous number of 1.450 Ratio for 2015. Hungary HU: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data is updated yearly, averaging 1.800 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.350 Ratio in 1975 and a record low of 1.230 Ratio in 2011. Hungary HU: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Hungary – Table HU.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. 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.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision. (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average; Relevance to gender indicator: it can indicate the status of women within households and a woman’s decision about the number and spacing of children.

United States US: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data was reported at 14.000 Ratio in 2015. This stayed constant from the previous number of 14.000 Ratio for 2014. United States US: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 13.000 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2015, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 15.000 Ratio in 2009 and a record low of 11.000 Ratio in 1998. United States US: 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 USA – Table US.World Bank: 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.; ; WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group, and the United Nations Population Division. Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2015. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2015; Weighted average; This indicator represents the risk associated with each pregnancy and is also a Sustainable Development Goal Indicator for monitoring maternal health.

In 2025, Timor-Leste had the highest crude birth rate among the Southeast Asian countries, with a crude birth rate of **** live births per 1,000 of the population. In comparison, there were ***** live births per 1,000 of the population in Thailand in 2025.

Slovakia Vital Statistics: Crude Live Birth Rate data was reported at 11.355 ‰ in Aug 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 11.571 ‰ for Jul 2018. Slovakia Vital Statistics: Crude Live Birth Rate data is updated monthly, averaging 10.223 ‰ from Jan 2000 (Median) to Aug 2018, with 224 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 12.990 ‰ in Sep 2011 and a record low of 8.060 ‰ in Jan 2013. Slovakia Vital Statistics: Crude Live Birth Rate data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Slovakia – Table SK.G004: Vital Statistics.