The statistic shows the 20 countries with the lowest fertility rates in 2024. All figures are estimates. In 2024, the fertility rate in Taiwan was estimated to be at 1.11 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 child-bearing age in a country. Usually, a woman aged between 15 and 45 is considered to be in her child-bearing 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 child-bearing 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 career instead of becoming a mother at a young age, causing a decline of 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.

The total fertility rate of the world has dropped from around five children per woman in 1950, to 2.3 children per woman in 2023, which means that women today are having fewer than half the number of children that women did 75 years ago. 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.

When broken down by continent, Africa is the only region with a fertility rate above the global average, while it and Oceania are the only regions with above replacement level fertility rates. Until the 1980s, women in Africa could expect to have almost seven children throughout the course of their lifetimes, and there are still eight countries in Africa where the average woman of childbearing age can still expect to have five or more children in 2023. Historically, Europe has had the lowest fertility rate 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.

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.

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 Fertility Rate, Total for the United States (SPDYNTFRTINUSA) from 1960 to 2022 about fertility, rate, and USA.

In 2024, there are six countries, all in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the average woman of childbearing age can expect to have around six or more children throughout their lifetime. In fact, of the 20 countries in the world with the highest fertility rates, Afghanistan is the only country not found in Sub-Saharan Africa. High fertility rates in Africa With a fertility rate of almost 7 children per woman, Niger is the country with the highest fertility rate in the world. Population growth in Niger 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 Niger'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 less-developed 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 four or 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

Graph and download economic data for Adolescent Fertility Rate for Low Income Countries (SPADOTFRTLIC) from 1960 to 2022 about fertility, income, and rate.

Graph and download economic data for Fertility Rate, Total for Low and Middle Income Countries (SPDYNTFRTINLMY) from 1960 to 2022 about fertility, income, and rate.

Switzerland Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data was reported at 1.540 Ratio in 2016. This stayed constant from the previous number of 1.540 Ratio for 2015. Switzerland Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data is updated yearly, averaging 1.530 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.660 Ratio in 1964 and a record low of 1.380 Ratio in 2001. Switzerland 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 Switzerland – Table CH.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.

Although fluctuating between 2000 and 2024, fertility rates generally decreased in all G7 countries in recent years. Italy and Japan were estimated to have the lowest fertility rates as of 2024 at 1.2 children per woman in child-bearing age. On the other hand, France had the highest rate at 1.6 children. Interestingly, in Germany, the fertility rate was at the same level as Japan and Italy, but started to increase in 2013 and has remained slightly higher since. The fertility rate displays the average number of children a woman in child-bearing age in a country would have if she were to live to the end of her reproductive age.

Austria AT: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data was reported at 1.410 Ratio in 2022. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.480 Ratio for 2021. Austria AT: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data is updated yearly, averaging 1.480 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2022, with 63 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.820 Ratio in 1963 and a record low of 1.330 Ratio in 2001. Austria AT: 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 Austria – Table AT.World Bank.WDI: Social: 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: 2022 Revision; (2) Statistical databases and publications from national statistical offices; (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics.;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.

Madagascar MG: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data was reported at 4.184 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4.241 Ratio for 2015. Madagascar MG: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data is updated yearly, averaging 6.237 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7.308 Ratio in 1965 and a record low of 4.184 Ratio in 2016. Madagascar MG: 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 Madagascar – Table MG.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.

Canada CA: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data was reported at 1.330 Ratio in 2022. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.440 Ratio for 2021. Canada CA: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data is updated yearly, averaging 1.680 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2022, with 63 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.811 Ratio in 1960 and a record low of 1.330 Ratio in 2022. Canada CA: 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 Canada – Table CA.World Bank.WDI: Social: 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: 2022 Revision; (2) Statistical databases and publications from national statistical offices; (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics.;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.

Macedonia MK: Adolescent Fertility Rate: Births per 1000 Women Aged 15-19 data was reported at 16.565 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 16.929 Ratio for 2015. Macedonia MK: Adolescent Fertility Rate: Births per 1000 Women Aged 15-19 data is updated yearly, averaging 41.493 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 50.872 Ratio in 1982 and a record low of 16.565 Ratio in 2016. Macedonia MK: Adolescent Fertility Rate: Births per 1000 Women Aged 15-19 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Macedonia – Table MK.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Adolescent fertility rate is the number of births per 1,000 women ages 15-19.; ; United Nations Population Division, World Population Prospects.; Weighted average;

Graph and download economic data for Crude Birth Rate for Low Income Countries (SPDYNCBRTINLIC) from 1960 to 2022 about birth, crude, income, and rate.

In 2024, the birth rate in South Korea lay at 0.75 births per woman. The country has long been struggling with a declining birth rate, first dropping below one birth per woman in 2018.

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.

The average for 2022 based on 24 countries was 1.75 births per woman. The highest value was in Haiti: 2.77 births per woman and the lowest value was in Puerto Rico: 0.9 births per woman. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2022. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Italy IT: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data was reported at 1.350 Ratio in 2016. This stayed constant from the previous number of 1.350 Ratio for 2015. Italy IT: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data is updated yearly, averaging 1.440 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.650 Ratio in 1964 and a record low of 1.190 Ratio in 1995. Italy IT: 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 Italy – Table IT.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.

Aruba AW: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data was reported at 1.179 Ratio in 2022. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.180 Ratio for 2021. Aruba AW: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data is updated yearly, averaging 2.277 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2022, with 63 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.820 Ratio in 1960 and a record low of 1.179 Ratio in 2022. Aruba AW: 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 Aruba – Table AW.World Bank.WDI: Social: 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: 2022 Revision; (2) Statistical databases and publications from national statistical offices; (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics.;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.