Fertility rate, total in Belgium
Belgium: Fertility rate, total was 1.44 births per woman in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
1.44 births per woman
Change on year
down 2.0%
World rank
167th
of 217 countries
All-time high
2.71 births per woman
in 1964
All-time low
1.44 births per woman
in 2024
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Fertility rate, total in Belgium, 1960–2024
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
In 2024, fertility rate, total in Belgium stood at 1.44 births per woman. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.0% on the previous year and down 17.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate, total in Belgium peaked at 2.71 births per woman in 1964 and was at its lowest, 1.44 births per woman, in 2024.
That places Belgium 167th out of 217 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Fertility rate, total in Belgium, year by year
| Year | births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 2.54 births per woman | — |
| 1961 | 2.63 births per woman | +3.5% |
| 1962 | 2.59 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 1963 | 2.68 births per woman | +3.5% |
| 1964 | 2.71 births per woman | +1.1% |
| 1965 | 2.61 births per woman | -3.7% |
| 1966 | 2.52 births per woman | -3.4% |
| 1967 | 2.41 births per woman | -4.4% |
| 1968 | 2.31 births per woman | -4.1% |
| 1969 | 2.27 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 1970 | 2.25 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1971 | 2.21 births per woman | -1.8% |
| 1972 | 2.09 births per woman | -5.4% |
| 1973 | 1.95 births per woman | -6.7% |
| 1974 | 1.83 births per woman | -6.2% |
| 1975 | 1.74 births per woman | -4.9% |
| 1976 | 1.73 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1977 | 1.71 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1978 | 1.69 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1979 | 1.69 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 1.68 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 1.66 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1982 | 1.61 births per woman | -3.0% |
| 1983 | 1.57 births per woman | -2.5% |
| 1984 | 1.54 births per woman | -1.9% |
| 1985 | 1.51 births per woman | -1.9% |
| 1986 | 1.54 births per woman | +2.0% |
| 1987 | 1.54 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 1.57 births per woman | +1.9% |
| 1989 | 1.58 births per woman | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 1.62 births per woman | +2.5% |
| 1991 | 1.66 births per woman | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 1.65 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 1.61 births per woman | -2.4% |
| 1994 | 1.56 births per woman | -3.1% |
| 1995 | 1.56 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 1.59 births per woman | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 1.6 births per woman | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 1.6 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 1.62 births per woman | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 1.67 births per woman | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 1.67 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 1.65 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 1.67 births per woman | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 1.72 births per woman | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 1.76 births per woman | +2.3% |
| 2006 | 1.8 births per woman | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 1.82 births per woman | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 1.85 births per woman | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 1.84 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 1.86 births per woman | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 1.81 births per woman | -2.7% |
| 2012 | 1.8 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 1.76 births per woman | -2.2% |
| 2014 | 1.74 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 1.7 births per woman | -2.3% |
| 2016 | 1.68 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 1.65 births per woman | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 1.62 births per woman | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 1.6 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 1.55 births per woman | -3.1% |
| 2021 | 1.6 births per woman | +3.2% |
| 2022 | 1.53 births per woman | -4.4% |
| 2023 | 1.47 births per woman | -3.9% |
| 2024 | 1.44 births per woman | -2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.53 births per woman | 2.27 births per woman | 2.71 births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.89 births per woman | 1.69 births per woman | 2.25 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.58 births per woman | 1.51 births per woman | 1.68 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.61 births per woman | 1.56 births per woman | 1.66 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.74 births per woman | 1.65 births per woman | 1.85 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.72 births per woman | 1.6 births per woman | 1.86 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.52 births per woman | 1.44 births per woman | 1.6 births per woman | 5 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 164 Norway 1.45 births per woman compare
- 165 Bhutan 1.45 births per woman compare
- 166 Cuba 1.45 births per woman compare
- 167 Mauritius 1.44 births per woman compare
- 167 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 1.44 births per woman compare
- 170 Azerbaijan 1.43 births per woman compare
- 170 Netherlands 1.43 births per woman compare
- 170 Sweden 1.43 births per woman compare
More health data for Belgium
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -3.28 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.2923 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,160 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 59 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate -1.14 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.0768 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate -1.13 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.0803 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate, total in Belgium?
- Fertility rate, total in Belgium was 1.44 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 Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 2.71 births per woman in 1964.
- What is the lowest fertility rate, total recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.44 births per woman in 2024.
- How does Belgium rank for fertility rate, total?
- Belgium ranks 167th out of 217 countries with data for 2024.
- Is fertility rate, total rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Belgium 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.