The fertility rates have fallen in all five Nordic countries over the last years. However, in 2021, the birth rates increased again in all five Nordics countries, besides in Sweden, where the fertility rate stayed the same. This can be explained by the higher number of babies born during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, Iceland had the highest fertility rate of the Nordic countries, with *** children born per woman in reproductive age. The global trend of decreasing fertility The Nordics are not the only region with decreasing fertility rates. Globally, fertility rates have been on a steady decline since 2000. While lower-income countries have had more significant declines, they still have more children born per woman than higher-income countries. In 2000, almost * children were born per woman in low-income countries, decreasing to **** in 2021. By comparison, nearly **** children were born per woman in high-income countries, falling slightly to **** by 2021. Overall, in 2023, Niger, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of Congo had the highest fertility rates, while Taiwan, South Korea, and Singapore had the lowest fertility rates. Impacts of low fertility Greater access to education, challenges between work-life balance, and the costs of raising children can all be linked to falling fertility rates. However, this decline is not without consequences, and many countries are facing social and economic challenges because of aging and shrinking populations. For example, in Japan, where nearly ** percent of the country is aged 65 or older, an increasing proportion of the government expenditure is going towards social security benefits. Moreover, the very low unemployment rate in Japan can partially be attributed to having a shrinking labor force and fewer people to support the economy.

The fertility rate of a country is the average number of children that women from that country will have throughout their reproductive years. From 1800 to 1875, Sweden's fertility rate fluctuated quite regularly, rising from 4.1 children per woman in 1800 to it's maximum recorded figure of 5.1 in the early 1820s, and then dropping to 4.2 by 1870. It was at this point that the fertility rate began falling gradually, to just 1.7 births per woman in 1935. Sweden also experienced its own baby boom that lasted from the 1940s to the late 1960s, before falling to 1.6 in 1985. In the past few decades, Sweden's fertility rate has again fluctuated between 1.5 and 2 children per woman, due to varying economic circumstances and migrational factors. In 2020, it is estimated that the fertility rate of Sweden will be 1.9 children per woman.

The crude birth rate in Sweden decreased gradually since 2010. In 2023, it dropped below 10 births per 1,000 inhabitants. The crude birth rate is defined as the number of live births in a given geographical area in a given time period, per thousand mid-year population. As with the birth rate in Sweden, the fertility rate has also been declining over the past decade. Increasing population Even though the crude birth rate and the fertility rate in Sweden are declining, the population in Sweden is still growing. This is partly due to fewer deaths than births, but also due to the positive migration flow of more immigrants coming to Sweden than the number of people emigrating. Babies born The number of babies born depends on the number of women in reproductive age living in the country. The number of babies born reached a record-low 100,000 in 2023.

Between 2010 and 2023, the fertility rate in Sweden decreased steadily, dropping to 1.5. The fertility rate is defined as the number of children that would be born or are likely to be born to a woman if she lives to the end of her reproductive years. A similar decline was visible for the crude birth rate, which in 2022 was down at 10 births per 1,000 inhabitants.

More immigrants than emigrants

Despite the decreasing fertility- and crude birth rate in Sweden, the population in Sweden continues to grow. More babies are born each year than people dying, which contributes to a growing population. However, the major reason behind the continued population growth is the positive inflow of immigrants. Few people are leaving the country, while many more migrants are arriving in Sweden.

Fertility rate in Europe

Even though the fertility rate in the country decreased over the last 10 years, Sweden had a higher fertility rate than many other countries in Europe in 2023. The Faroe Islands had the highest fertility rate, whereas Andorra had the lowest.

Sweden SE: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data was reported at 1.850 Ratio in 2016. This stayed constant from the previous number of 1.850 Ratio for 2015. Sweden SE: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data is updated yearly, averaging 1.870 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.470 Ratio in 1964 and a record low of 1.500 Ratio in 1999. Sweden SE: 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 Sweden – Table SE.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.

Graph and download economic data for Adolescent Fertility Rate for Sweden (SPADOTFRTSWE) from 1960 to 2023 about 15 to 19 years, Sweden, fertility, and rate.

Fertility rate, total (births per woman) in Sweden was reported at 1.45 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Sweden - Fertility rate, total (births per woman) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on November of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Fertility Rate, Total for Sweden (SPDYNTFRTINSWE) from 1960 to 2023 about fertility, Sweden, and rate.

Sweden SE: Adolescent Fertility Rate: Births per 1000 Women Aged 15-19 data was reported at 5.274 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 5.309 Ratio for 2015. Sweden SE: Adolescent Fertility Rate: Births per 1000 Women Aged 15-19 data is updated yearly, averaging 11.689 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 43.111 Ratio in 1967 and a record low of 5.274 Ratio in 2016. Sweden SE: 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 Sweden – Table SE.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;

Historical dataset showing Sweden birth rate by year from 1950 to 2025.

Sweden SE: Birth Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data was reported at 11.800 Ratio in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 11.700 Ratio for 2015. Sweden SE: Birth Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 11.900 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 16.000 Ratio in 1964 and a record low of 10.000 Ratio in 1999. Sweden SE: 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 Sweden – Table SE.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;

In 2022, all five Nordic countries saw a decrease in the crude birth rate. It has been decreasing over the past decade. It was lowest in Finland at *** births per 1,000 inhabitants, and highest in Iceland at ****.

Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in Sweden was reported at 9.5 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Sweden - Birth rate, crude - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on November of 2025.

Actual value and historical data chart for Sweden Adolescent Fertility Rate Births Per 1 000 Women Ages 15 19

Historical dataset showing Sweden fertility rate by year from 1950 to 2025.

In Sweden, the crude birth rate in 1800 was just under 29 live births per thousand people, meaning that roughly 2.9 percent of the population had been born in that year. In the nineteenth century, Sweden experienced various population-influencing events, such as separate wars with Norway and Russia, several smallpox epidemics, mass migration to the US, and industrialization. In this time, the crude birth rate fluctuated between 27 and 36 births per thousand. Between 1875 and 1935 this rate decreased consistently from 30.7 to 14.1. Sweden's crude birth rate stopped falling around the time of the Second World War, and rose to almost nineteen in 1945, before plateauing in the mid-teens between 1955 and 1970, where the decline then resumed. There was another brief increase during the late 1980s and 90s, however these numbers then dropped to their lowest recorded figure of 10.4 in the year 2000, and in 2020 the crude birth rate of Sweden is expected to be just under twelve births per thousand people.

This dataset is about countries per year in Sweden. It has 64 rows. It features 3 columns: country, and birth rate.

Sweden Vital Statistics: Fertility Rate: Male data was reported at 1.630 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.710 % for 2016. Sweden Vital Statistics: Fertility Rate: Male data is updated yearly, averaging 1.690 % from Dec 1970 (Median) to 2017, with 48 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.990 % in 1990 and a record low of 1.400 % in 1999. Sweden Vital Statistics: Fertility Rate: Male data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Sweden. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Sweden – Table SE.G006: Vital Statistics.

Sweden Vital Statistics: Fertility Rate: Female data was reported at 1.780 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.850 % for 2016. Sweden Vital Statistics: Fertility Rate: Female data is updated yearly, averaging 1.820 % from Dec 1970 (Median) to 2017, with 48 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.120 % in 1990 and a record low of 1.500 % in 1999. Sweden Vital Statistics: Fertility Rate: Female data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Sweden. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Sweden – Table SE.G006: Vital Statistics.

This scatter chart displays birth rate (per 1,000 people) against expense (% of GDP) in Sweden. The data is about countries per year.