Fertility rate, total in Africa Eastern and Southern
Africa Eastern and Southern: Fertility rate, total was 4.16 births per woman in 2024. ▼ Falling
Fertility rate, total in Africa Eastern and Southern, 1960–2024
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
Africa Eastern and Southern recorded 4.16 births per woman for fertility rate, total in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.4% on the previous year and down 12.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate, total in Africa Eastern and Southern peaked at 6.8 births per woman in 1971 and was at its lowest, 4.16 births per woman, in 2024.
Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 8th of 47 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Fertility rate, total in Africa Eastern and Southern, year by year
| Year | births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 6.65 births per woman | — |
| 1961 | 6.67 births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1962 | 6.69 births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1963 | 6.71 births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1964 | 6.72 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 6.74 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1966 | 6.77 births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1967 | 6.78 births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1968 | 6.78 births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1969 | 6.78 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 6.79 births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1971 | 6.8 births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1972 | 6.8 births per woman | -0.0% |
| 1973 | 6.8 births per woman | -0.0% |
| 1974 | 6.79 births per woman | -0.0% |
| 1975 | 6.78 births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1976 | 6.77 births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1977 | 6.75 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1978 | 6.73 births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1979 | 6.72 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1980 | 6.69 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1981 | 6.66 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 1982 | 6.64 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 6.6 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1984 | 6.55 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 1985 | 6.5 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1986 | 6.45 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1987 | 6.4 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1988 | 6.33 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1989 | 6.25 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1990 | 6.16 births per woman | -1.4% |
| 1991 | 6.09 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 6.03 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1993 | 5.97 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 5.91 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 5.85 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 5.78 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 5.71 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 5.66 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 5.61 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 5.55 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 5.5 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 5.45 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 5.41 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 5.38 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 5.35 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 5.31 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 5.25 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 5.22 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 5.14 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 5.07 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 4.98 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 4.9 births per woman | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 4.82 births per woman | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 4.75 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 4.68 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 4.62 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 4.57 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 4.52 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 4.47 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 4.41 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 4.35 births per woman | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 4.29 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 4.22 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2024 | 4.16 births per woman | -1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.73 births per woman | 6.65 births per woman | 6.78 births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.77 births per woman | 6.72 births per woman | 6.8 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.51 births per woman | 6.25 births per woman | 6.69 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.88 births per woman | 5.61 births per woman | 6.16 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.36 births per woman | 5.14 births per woman | 5.55 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.74 births per woman | 4.47 births per woman | 5.07 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.29 births per woman | 4.16 births per woman | 4.41 births per woman | 5 |
Countries ranked near Africa Eastern and Southern
- 5 Niger 5.93 births per woman compare
- 6 Mali 5.51 births per woman compare
- 7 Angola 5.05 births per woman compare
- 8 Burundi 4.79 births per woman compare
- 9 Afghanistan 4.76 births per woman compare
- 10 Mozambique 4.69 births per woman compare
- 11 Mauritania 4.62 births per woman compare
More health data for Africa Eastern and Southern
- Population ages 60-64, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, annual growth rate 3.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, female, per capita 0.0078 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, female, annual growth rate 3.76 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, per capita 0.0086 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, female, per capita 0.0102 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, female, annual growth rate 2.89 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate, total in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Fertility rate, total in Africa Eastern and Southern was 4.16 births per woman in 2024, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest fertility rate, total recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The highest recorded value was 6.8 births per woman in 1971.
- What is the lowest fertility rate, total recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.16 births per woman in 2024.
- How does Africa Eastern and Southern rank for fertility rate, total?
- Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 8th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is fertility rate, total rising or falling in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Africa Eastern and Southern data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Fertility rate, total (births per woman). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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.