The statistic shows the 20 countries with the lowest fertility rates in 2025. All figures are estimates. In 2025, the fertility rate in South Korea was estimated to be at 0.68 children per woman, making it the lowest fertility rate worldwide. Fertility rate The fertility rate is the average number of children born per woman of childbearing age in a country. Usually, a woman aged between 15 and 45 is considered to be in her childbearing years. The fertility rate of a country provides an insight into its economic state, as well as the level of health and education of its population. Developing countries usually have a higher fertility rate due to lack of access to birth control and contraception, and to women usually foregoing a higher education, or even any education at all, in favor of taking care of housework. Many families in poorer countries also need their children to help provide for the family by starting to work early and/or as caretakers for their parents in old age. In developed countries, fertility rates and birth rates are usually much lower, as birth control is easier to obtain and women often choose a career before becoming a mother. Additionally, if the number of women of childbearing age declines, so does the fertility rate of a country. As can be seen above, countries like Hong Kong are a good example for women leaving the patriarchal structures and focusing on their own careers instead of becoming mothers at a young age, causing a decline in the country’s fertility rate. A look at the fertility rate per woman worldwide by income group also shows that women with a low income tend to have more children than those with a high income. The United States are neither among the countries with the lowest, nor among those with the highest fertility rate, by the way. At 2.08 children per woman, the fertility rate in the US has been continuously slightly below the global average of about 2.4 children per woman over the last decade.

Over the past 30 years, the birth rate in the United States has been steadily declining, and in 2023, there were 10.7 births per 1,000 of the population. In 1990, this figure stood at 16.7 births per 1,000 of the population. Demographics have an impact The average birth rate in the U.S. may be falling, but when broken down along ethnic and economic lines, a different picture is painted: Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander women saw the highest birth rate in 2022 among all ethnicities, and Asian women and white women both saw the lowest birth rate. Additionally, the higher the family income, the lower the birth rate; families making between 15,000 and 24,999 U.S. dollars annually had the highest birth rate of any income bracket in the States. Life expectancy at birth In addition to the declining birth rate in the U.S., the total life expectancy at birth has also reached its lowest value recently. Studies have shown that the life expectancy of both men and women in the United States has been declining over the last few years. Declines in life expectancy, like declines in birth rates, may indicate that there are social and economic factors negatively influencing the overall population health and well-being of the country.

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.

This statistic shows the countries and territories with the lowest projected fertility rate between 2050 and 2055. Between 2050 and 2055, Singapore is projected to have the lowest fertility rate, with an average of 1.38 children born per woman.

Graph and download economic data for Crude Birth Rate for Least Developed Countries (SPDYNCBRTINLDC) from 1960 to 2023 about birth, crude, and rate.

United States Birth Rate: White data was reported at 9.300 % in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 9.500 % for 2022. United States Birth Rate: White data is updated yearly, averaging 13.700 % from Dec 1985 (Median) to 2023, with 39 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 15.800 % in 1990 and a record low of 9.300 % in 2023. United States Birth Rate: White data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.G008: Birth 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.

Graph and download economic data for Fertility Rate, Total for the United States (SPDYNTFRTINUSA) from 1960 to 2023 about fertility, rate, and USA.

For the world as a whole, average birth rates have been falling for decades---from about 5 in 1950 to a little above 2 today. Two-thirds of people today live in a country where the birth rate is below an average of two children per two adults, which means below the fertility level needed to sustain population sizes (without net migration). In this paper, we assess whether low fertility is likely to persist as a global phenomenon. We distinguish cohort birth rates, which matter for generation-to-generation population change, from period birth rates, which present a snapshot of birth rates at a point in time, but may offer less insight on longer-run possibilities. Where cohort birth rates have fallen low, they have not subsequently rebounded. We show that both increasing rates of lifetime childlessness and smaller family sizes among parents have contributed to falling cohort birth rates. Pronatal policies, we discuss, can have large effects on the annual fertility data without substantially changing the average number of children women have over their lifetimes. Although future birth rates remain uncertain, we conclude from the evidence that, over a long horizon, persistent low fertility is a likely future.

These data contain the Crude Colorado County Low Weight Birth Rate which equals the total number of low weight births (singleton low weight births) divided by the denominator of all singleton births (2015-2019). Low weight births are defined as infants weighing 5 pounds, 8 ounces or less (under 2,500 grams) at birth. These data are from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's Vital Records Birth Dataset and are published annually by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

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 (MENA) region, reaching almost 3.5 and 3.3 births per woman respectively in 2024. Bahrain and the UAE had the lowest birth rates per woman in the region. Birth rates and maternal health improvements in MENA Birth rates in the Middle East and North Africa have decreased considerably over the years. The crude birth rate in MENA dropped from around 25 per 1,000 population in 2000 to 20 in 2021. Considerable progress has been made regarding the health of women who are pregnant. The maternal mortality ratio in MENA decreased from 108 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2000, to 56 in 2020. Another trend is a slow but noticeable decline in the adolescent fertility rate in MENA over the last two decades, from around 44 in 2000 to about 34 births per 1,000 adolescent girls in 2022. Persistent female health issues A high female obesity rate is a prevalent health issues stemming from lifestyles in MENA. The obesity rate among adult females in MENA ranged from around 59 percent in Egypt to approximately 31.5 percent in Morocco as of 2022. Female genital mutilation is another societal problem in the region, though not an isolated one. The number of girls and women who have undergone female genital mutilation in Africa was around 144 million in 2024. In the Middle East, this number was much lower, at about six million.

Births rates across Lake County, Illinois by ZIP Code. Explanation of field attributes: LBW - Low birth weight is defined as a birth where the baby weighs less than 2,500 grams. This is a percent. Preterm - Preterm birth is defined as a birth that occur before 37 weeks of pregnancy. This is a percent. Teen Birth – Teen births are defined as women aged 15 to 19 years who give birth. This is a rate. Birth Rate – Birth rate is defined as the number of live births per 1,000 populations. 1st Trimester of Care – 1st Trimester of care refers to the doctor’s visits and care provided during the first 13 weeks of pregnancy. This is a percent.

Graph and download economic data for Crude Birth Rate for Low Income Countries (SPDYNCBRTINLIC) from 1960 to 2023 about birth, crude, income, and rate.

Crude birth rates, age-specific fertility rates and total fertility rates (live births), 2000 to most recent year.

In 2021 the live birth rate of the United Kingdom fell to 10.4 births per 1,000 population, the lowest it had been during this time period. The UK's birth rate has been declining steadily since 2010 when the birth rate was 12.9 births per 1,000 population. After 1938, the year with the highest birth rate in the UK was 1947, when the crude birth rate was 21.2 births per 1,000 population. Under two children per mother in 2021 The most recent crude live birth rate for this statistic is based on the 694,685 births, that occurred in 2021 as well as the mid-year population estimate of 67 million for the United Kingdom. It has a close relation to the fertility rate which estimates the average number of children women are expected to have in their lifetime, which was 1.53 in this reporting year. Among the constituent countries of the UK, Northern Ireland had the highest birth rate at 11.6, followed by England at 10.5, Wales at 9.3, and Scotland at 8.7. International comparisons The UK is not alone in seeing its birth and fertility rates decline dramatically in recent decades. Across the globe, fertility rates have fallen noticeably since the 1960s, with the fertility rate for Asia, Europe, and the Americas being below two in 2021. As of this year, the global fertility rate was 2.31, and was by far the highest in Africa, which had a fertility rate of 4.12, although this too has fallen from a high of 6.72 in the late 1960s. A reduction in infant mortality, as well as better access to contraception, are factors that have typically influenced declining fertility rates recently.

This is the data and code to replicate the results in the paper "Status Externalities in Education and Low Birth Rates in Korea." The package contains both stata code to replicate the empirical results and matlab code to replicate the model simulations.

United States - Crude Birth Rate for Least Developed Countries was 31.37155 Births per 1,000 People in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Crude Birth Rate for Least Developed Countries reached a record high of 48.27396 in January of 1951 and a record low of 31.08081 in January of 2019. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Crude Birth Rate for Least Developed Countries - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on February of 2026.

CN: Population: Birth Rate: Yunnan data was reported at 0.822 % in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.814 % for 2022. CN: Population: Birth Rate: Yunnan data is updated yearly, averaging 1.337 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2023, with 34 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.360 % in 1990 and a record low of 0.814 % in 2022. CN: Population: Birth Rate: Yunnan data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population: Birth Rate: By Region.

Purpose:This dataset contains the Crude Rate of Low Weight Births (Singleton) / All Singleton Births Per Colorado Census Tract (2019-2023). Numerator and denominator data are calculated from the 2019-2023 Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Colorado Live Birth Statistics. This dataset supports the CDPHE Community Health Equity Map application.Update Schedule and URL:This dataset is updated annually (September) and is provided using death data directly assembled from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Colorado Live Birth Statistics. For inquiries about vital statistics or for data requests contact cdphe.healthstatistics@state.co.us, or use the data request system.Fields Description:GEOID: 11-digit Census Tract FIPS Identifier COUNTY: County NameNAME: Census Tract NameLWB_ADJRATE: Crude Low Weight Birth Rate (2019-2023, Colorado Live Birth Statistics)LWB_L95CI: Low Weight Birth Rate Lower 95% Confidence IntervalLWB_U95CI: Low Weight Birth Rate Upper 95% Confidence IntervalLWB_STATEADJRATE: Statewide Crude Low Weight Birth Rate (2019-2023, Colorado Live Birth Statistics)LWB_SL95CI: Statewide Low Weight Birth Rate Lower 95% Confidence IntervalLWB_SU95CI: Statewide Low Weight Birth Rate Upper 95% Confidence IntervalLWB_DISPLAY: Low Weight Birth Rate Census Tract Map Display Designation (Estimate is Higher Than State Average Confidence Interval, Lower Than State Average Confidence Interval, Not Different Than State Average Confidence Interval, No Events or Data Suppressed)

The low birth-weight rate measures the percentage of live births with weights below 2500 grams. A low birth-weight can affect health outcomes later in life, and is an illustrative indicator for the overall health of the measured population.

The low birth-weight rate in Champaign County has been above 8 percent since 2011, the earliest Reporting Year available in the dataset. This is close to the statewide rate, which returned to 8.4 percent from Reporting Year 2021 through present after a slight decrease in recent years. The lowest county low birth-weight rate in the state is 5.6 percent (Carroll County in the northwest corner of the state), while the highest county low birth-weight rate in the state is 11.9 percent (Pulaski County in southernmost Illinois).

This data was sourced from the University of Wisconsin's Population Health Institute's and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. Each year’s County Health Rankings uses data from years prior. Therefore, the 2023 County Health Rankings (“Reporting Year” in the table) uses data from 2014-2020 (“Data Years” in the table).

Source: University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. County Health Rankings & Roadmaps 2023.