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.

In 1925, the crude birth rate in South Africa was just under 49 births per thousand people, meaning that almost five percent of the population was born in that year. This figure would follow the country’s trends in fertility, remaining largely unchanged until the 1950s when, following the implementation of apartheid rule in the country in 1948, declines in fertility from the government's family planning programs would lead to the birth rate's rapid decline. Apart from a brief pause in the early-1980s, births rates would decline throughout the second half of the 20th century, falling to just under 24 births per thousand people by 2000. The crude birth rate would see a brief increase in the early 2000s, largely attributed to a diversion of healthcare funding away from contraceptives to funding for treatments for the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the country, but since then, birth rates have resumed their decline, and in 2020, it is estimated that South Africa had a birth rate just under 21 births for every thousand people.

South Africa ZA: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data was reported at 2.458 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2.485 Ratio for 2015. South Africa ZA: Fertility Rate: Total: Births per Woman data is updated yearly, averaging 3.924 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6.041 Ratio in 1960 and a record low of 2.458 Ratio in 2016. South Africa ZA: 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 South Africa – Table ZA.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.

In 2023, the crude birth rate in live births per 1,000 inhabitants in South Africa was 18.78. Between 1960 and 2023, the figure dropped by 21.04, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

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.

South Africa ZA: Birth Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data was reported at 20.981 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 21.297 Ratio for 2015. South Africa ZA: Birth Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 30.616 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 40.222 Ratio in 1960 and a record low of 20.981 Ratio in 2016. South Africa ZA: 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 South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank: 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;

A flexible model to reconstruct education-specific fertility rates: Sub-saharan Africa case study

The fertility rates are consistent with the United Nation World Population Prospects (UN WPP) 2022 fertility rates.

The Bayesian model developed to reconstruct the fertility rates using Demographic and Health Surveys and the UN WPP is published in a working paper.

Abstract

The future world population growth and size will be largely determined by the pace of fertility decline in sub-Saharan Africa. Correct estimates of education-specific fertility rates are crucial for projecting the future population. Yet, consistent cross-country comparable estimates of education-specific fertility for sub-Saharan African countries are still lacking. We propose a flexible Bayesian hierarchical model to reconstruct education-specific fertility rates by using the patchy Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) data and the United Nations’ (UN) reliable estimates of total fertility rates (TFR). Our model produces estimates that match the UN TFR to different extents (in other words, estimates of varying levels of consistency with the UN). We present three model specifications: consistent but not identical with the UN, fully-consistent (nearly identical) with the UN, and consistent with the DHS. Further, we provide a full time series of education-specific TFR estimates covering five-year periods between 1980 and 2014 for 36 sub-Saharan African countries. The results show that the DHS-consistent estimates are usually higher than the UN-fully-consistent ones. The differences between the three model estimates vary substantially in size across countries, yielding 1980-2014 fertility trends that differ from each other mostly in level only but in some cases also in direction.

Funding

The data set are part of the BayesEdu Project at Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital (IIASA, OeAW, University of Vienna) funded from the “Innovation Fund Research, Science and Society” by the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW).

We provide education-specific total fertility rates (ESTFR) from three model specifications: (1) estimated TFR consistent but not identical with the TFR estimated by the UN (“Main model (UN-consistent)”; (2) estimated TFR fully consistent (nearly identical) with the TFR estimated by the UN ( “UN-fully -consistent”, and (3) estimated TFR consistent only with the TFR estimated by the DHS ( “DHS-consistent”).

For education- and age-specific fertility rates that are UN-fully consistent, please see https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8182960

Variables

Country: Country names

Education: Four education levels, No Education, Primary Education, Secondary Education and Higher Education.

Year: Five-year periods between 1980 and 2015.

ESTFR: Median education-specific total fertility rate estimate

sd: Standard deviation

Upp50: 50% Upper Credible Interval

Lwr50: 50% Lower Credible Interval

Upp80: 80% Upper Credible Interval

Lwr80: 80% Lower Credible Interval

Model: Three model specifications as explained above and in the working paper. DHS-consistent, Main model (UN-consistent) and UN-fully consistent.

List of countries:

Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cote D'Ivoire, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

South Africa ZA: UCB Projection: Crude Birth Rate: per 1000 Persons data was reported at 13.500 NA in 2050. This records a decrease from the previous number of 13.600 NA for 2049. South Africa ZA: UCB Projection: Crude Birth Rate: per 1000 Persons data is updated yearly, averaging 20.050 NA from Jun 1985 (Median) to 2050, with 66 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 33.600 NA in 1985 and a record low of 13.500 NA in 2050. South Africa ZA: UCB Projection: Crude Birth Rate: per 1000 Persons data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.US Census Bureau: Demographic Projection.

The total fertility rate represents the average number of children that a woman will have over the course of their reproductive years. In South Africa in the early-1920s, the average woman would have 6.5 children over the course of their reproductive years, a rate that would remain fairly constant until 1950. From this point until 2005, South Africa’s fertility rate would drop consistently, and would reach 2.9 children per woman by the beginning of the 21st century. There was a slight increase in fertility in 2005, largely attributed to a diversion of healthcare funding away from contraceptives to funding for treatments for the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the country, however, the fertility rate would again decrease in the years following this. In 2020, the total fertility rate for South Africa is estimated to be just 2.41 children per woman, a rate much lower than most other Sub-Saharan countries.

South Africa ZA: UCB Projection: Fertility Rate: per Woman data was reported at 1.840 NA in 2050. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.850 NA for 2049. South Africa ZA: UCB Projection: Fertility Rate: per Woman data is updated yearly, averaging 2.275 NA from Jun 1985 (Median) to 2050, with 66 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.050 NA in 1985 and a record low of 1.840 NA in 2050. South Africa ZA: UCB Projection: Fertility Rate: per Woman data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.US Census Bureau: Demographic Projection.

In 2023, the crude birth rate in South Africa decreased by 0.3 live births per 1,000 inhabitants (-1.57 percent) compared to 2022. This marks the lowest rate during the observed period. The crude birth rate is the annual number of live births divided by the total population, expressed per 1,000 people.Find more statistics on other topics about South Africa with key insights such as total fertility rate, fertility rate of women aged between 15 and 19 years old, and infant mortality rate.

ZA: Total Fertility Rate: Children per Woman data was reported at 2.220 Person in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2.230 Person for 2022. ZA: Total Fertility Rate: Children per Woman data is updated yearly, averaging 2.440 Person from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2023, with 34 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.720 Person in 1990 and a record low of 2.220 Person in 2023. ZA: Total Fertility Rate: Children per Woman data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.OECD.GGI: Social: Demography: Non OECD Member: Annual.

In 2023, the total fertility rate in children per woman in South Africa was 2.22. Between 1960 and 2023, the figure dropped by 3.89, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

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.

Niger had the highest birth rate in the world in 2024, with a birth rate of 46.6 births per 1,000 inhabitants. Angola, Benin, Mali, and Uganda followed. Except for Afghanistan, all 20 countries with the highest birth rates in the world were located in Sub-Saharan Africa. High infant mortality The reasons behind the high birth rates in many Sub-Saharan African countries are manyfold, but a major reason is that infant mortality remains high on the continent, despite decreasing steadily over the past decades, resulting in high birth rates to counter death rates. Moreover, many nations in Sub-Saharan Africa are highly reliant on small-scale farming, meaning that more hands are of importance. Additionally, polygamy is not uncommon in the region, and having many children is often seen as a symbol of status. Fastest-growing populations As the high fertility rates coincide with decreasing death rates, countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have the highest population growth rates in the world. As a result, Africa's population is forecast to increase from 1.4 billion in 2022 to over 3.9 billion by 2100.

BackgroundEndometrial cancer is the sixth leading cause of cancer among females and about 97,000 global deaths of endometrial cancer. The changes in the trends of obesity, fertility rates and other risk factors in South Africa (SA) may impact the endometrial cancer trends. The aim of this study was to utilise the age period cohort and join point regression modelling to evaluate the national and ethnic trends in endometrial cancer mortality in South Africa over a 20year period (1999–2018).MethodsData from Statistics South Africa was obtained to calculate the annual number of deaths, and annual crude and age standardised mortality rates (ASMR) of endometrial cancer from 1999–2018. The overall and ethnic trends of endometrial cancer mortality was assessed using the Join point regression model, while Age-period-cohort (APC) regression modelling was conducted to estimate the effect of age, calendar period and birth cohort.ResultsDuring the period 1999–2018, 4,877 deaths were due to endometrial cancer which constituted about 3.6% of breast and gynecological cancer deaths (3.62%, 95% CI: 3.52%–3.72%) in South Africa. The ASMR of endometrial cancer doubled from 0.76 deaths per 100,000 women in 1999 to 1.5 deaths per 100,000 women in 2018, with an average annual rise of 3.6% per annum. (Average Annual Percentage change (AAPC): 3.6%, 95%CI:2.7–4.4, P-value < 0.001). In 2018, the overall mean age at death for endometrial cancer was was 67.40 ± 11.04 years and, the ASMR of endometrial cancer among Indian/Asians (1.69 per 100,000 women), Blacks (1.63 per 100,000 women) and Coloreds (1.39 per 100,000 women) was more than doubled the rates among Whites (0.66 deaths per 100,000 women). Indian/Asians had stable rates while other ethnic groups had increased rates. The Cohort mortality risk ratio (RR) of endometrial cancer increased with successive birth cohort from 1924 to 1963 (RR increased from 0.2 to 1.00), and subsequently declined among successive cohorts from 1963 to 1998 (1.00 to 0.09). There was strong age and cohort but not period effect among the South African women. Ethnic disparity showed that there was age effect among all the ethnic groups; Cohort effect among Blacks and Coloureds only, while Period effect occurred only among Blacks.ConclusionsThe mortality rates of endometrial cancer doubled over a twenty-year period in South Africa from 1999–2018. There was strong ethnic disparity, with age and cohort effect on endometrial cancer trends. Thus, targeted efforts geared towards prevention and prompt treatment of endometrial cancer among the high-risk groups should be pursued by stake holders.

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.

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Baby Food Maker Market Size 2024-2028

The baby food maker market size is forecast to increase by USD 585.3 million at a CAGR of 10.43% between 2023 and 2028. The market experiences significant growth, driven by various factors. Technological innovations and portfolio extensions are key catalysts, introducing advanced features and diverse product offerings. The increasing number of working women contributes to the market expansion, as convenience becomes a priority for busy parents. Additionally, the ease of use, portability, and health benefits associated with homemade baby food further fuel the market's growth. These factors combined create a robust and continuously evolving market landscape for baby food makers.

What will be the Size of the Market During the Forecast Period?

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Market Dynamic and Customer Landscape

The market is witnessing significant growth driven by the popularity of baby foods and the increasing effort of health-conscious parents to provide nutritious options for their infants. Companies are leveraging their brand name and innovative machine designs to introduce a wide range of deliverables such as cereals, edibles, and organic baby food. As working-class women seek time-saving solutions, baby electronic products like puree processors, blenders, and steamers have become essential. With an emphasis on nutrition, these products feature compact designs, easy-to-use interfaces, and nutrient retention technologies. Online dashboards and e-commerce websites enhance accessibility, while expansion of distribution chains taps into regional opportunities. The market caters to baby nutrition needs with all-in-one, portable, and multi-functional solutions like baby food pouches and dishwasher-safe processors, ensuring food safety and nutrient-rich meals for infants at every baby food stage.

Our researchers analyzed the market research and growth data with 2023 as the base year, along with the key drivers, trends, and challenges. A holistic analysis of drivers will help companies refine their marketing strategies to gain a competitive advantage.

Key Market Driver

One of the major factors driving the market growth is technological innovations and portfolio extensions. The manufacturers focus on launching advanced and innovative products for fulfill the demands of customers in different sectors. The major factors that a company focuses on while manufacturing a product are safety, durability, and customization. For example, the bottle warmer, BFM- 1000 by Cuisinart is a baby food maker with 4- cup work bowl that allows the storage of leftovers. This product steams and purees in the bowl without creating a mess, thereby also saving time.

Thus, the introduction of innovative products also leads to product premiumization. Danone introduced the pre-measured tab formula milk in the UK by partnering with the Japanese manufacturer Meiji. As per the deal, there will be the manufacturing of a format innovation in its formula milk recipes with Meiji's proprietary tab production technology. Thus, with such technological innovations and portfolio extensions, the global market is expected to grow during the forecast period.

Significant Market Trends

The major market trend driving the market growth is the increasing number of women joining the workforce. The increased number of working women globally has boosted the demand, thereby propelling their sales worldwide. The need for working women to make food or prepare infant formula and store them for later use has resulted in substantial market growth. As a result, the demand for ready-to-eat or packaged food has increased. The number of working women in developing countries such as China and India has increased substantially over the last few years. In 2021, the female labor rate in China ranged at about 61.6%.

The total labor participation rate in China stood at around 68.1% in 2021. This increase in the number of working women has also led to a rise in dual-income households, which, in turn, has led to a higher average income per household. This has helped to shift the inclination toward a luxury lifestyle which has encouraged consumers to adopt as their kitchen appliances. Such factors are expected to drive the growth of the market during the forecast period.

Major Market Challenge

The major challenge impeding market growth is the declining birth rate. The global declining birth rate is a challenge for the market in developing countries such as India, China, and Brazil and in developed countries such as the UK, the US, France, Japan, and Canada. The decline is due to the increase in the unmarried population and a drop in the number of children per family. For instance, the current birth rate for India in 2022 is 17.163 births per 1000 people, a 1.23% decline from 2021. The birth rate for India in 2021 was 17.377 births per 1000 people, a 1.

Background: Rabies is a serious yet neglected public health threat in resource-limited communities in Africa, where the virus is maintained in populations of owned, free-roaming domestic dogs. Rabies elimination can be achieved through the mass vaccination of dogs, but maintaining the critical threshold of vaccination coverage for herd immunity in these populations is hampered by their rapid turnover. Knowledge of the population dynamics of free-roaming dog populations can inform effective planning and implementation of mass dog vaccination campaigns to control rabies. Methodology/Principal Findings: We implemented a health and demographic surveillance system in dogs that monitored the entire owned dog population within a defined geographic area in a community in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. We quantified demographic rates over a 24-month period, from 1st January 2012 through 1st January 2014, and assessed their implications for rabies control by simulating the decline in vaccinat...

The death rate in South Africa decreased by 0.2 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants (-2.13 percent) in 2023 in comparison to the previous year. The crude death rate is the annual number of deaths in a given population, expressed per 1,000 people. When looked at in unison with the crude birth rate, the rate of natural increase can be determined.Find more statistics on other topics about South Africa with key insights such as crude birth rate, fertility rate of women aged between 15 and 19 years old, and total fertility rate.