Fertility rate, total in European Union
European Union: Fertility rate, total was 1.34 births per woman in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
1.34 births per woman
Change on year
down 3.1%
Rank
45th
of 47 groups
All-time high
2.62 births per woman
in 1964
All-time low
1.34 births per woman
in 2024
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Fertility rate, total in European Union, 1960–2024
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fertility rate, total in European Union is 1.34 births per woman, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3.1% on the previous year and down 12.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate, total in European Union peaked at 2.62 births per woman in 1964 and was at its lowest, 1.34 births per woman, in 2024.
European Union ranks 45th of 47 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Fertility rate, total in European Union, year by year
| Year | births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 2.57 births per woman | — |
| 1961 | 2.57 births per woman | -0.0% |
| 1962 | 2.55 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1963 | 2.59 births per woman | +1.3% |
| 1964 | 2.62 births per woman | +1.1% |
| 1965 | 2.56 births per woman | -2.0% |
| 1966 | 2.53 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 1967 | 2.59 births per woman | +2.3% |
| 1968 | 2.52 births per woman | -2.4% |
| 1969 | 2.44 births per woman | -3.1% |
| 1970 | 2.35 births per woman | -3.7% |
| 1971 | 2.31 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 1972 | 2.23 births per woman | -3.7% |
| 1973 | 2.15 births per woman | -3.3% |
| 1974 | 2.16 births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 2.09 births per woman | -3.0% |
| 1976 | 2.06 births per woman | -1.8% |
| 1977 | 1.99 births per woman | -3.2% |
| 1978 | 1.94 births per woman | -2.5% |
| 1979 | 1.9 births per woman | -1.9% |
| 1980 | 1.87 births per woman | -1.8% |
| 1981 | 1.82 births per woman | -2.7% |
| 1982 | 1.8 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 1983 | 1.75 births per woman | -2.5% |
| 1984 | 1.73 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 1.72 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1986 | 1.71 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 1.68 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 1988 | 1.69 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 1.65 births per woman | -2.1% |
| 1990 | 1.64 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1991 | 1.58 births per woman | -3.1% |
| 1992 | 1.55 births per woman | -2.4% |
| 1993 | 1.5 births per woman | -2.8% |
| 1994 | 1.46 births per woman | -3.0% |
| 1995 | 1.42 births per woman | -2.9% |
| 1996 | 1.41 births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 1.42 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 1.41 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 1.41 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 1.44 births per woman | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 1.42 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 1.42 births per woman | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 1.43 births per woman | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 1.46 births per woman | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 1.47 births per woman | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 1.49 births per woman | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 1.52 births per woman | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 1.57 births per woman | +3.3% |
| 2009 | 1.56 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 1.56 births per woman | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 1.53 births per woman | -2.2% |
| 2012 | 1.53 births per woman | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 1.51 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 1.54 births per woman | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 1.54 births per woman | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 1.57 births per woman | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 1.56 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 1.55 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 1.53 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 1.5 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2021 | 1.52 births per woman | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 1.45 births per woman | -4.6% |
| 2023 | 1.38 births per woman | -4.9% |
| 2024 | 1.34 births per woman | -3.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.55 births per woman | 2.44 births per woman | 2.62 births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.12 births per woman | 1.9 births per woman | 2.35 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.74 births per woman | 1.65 births per woman | 1.87 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.48 births per woman | 1.41 births per woman | 1.64 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.48 births per woman | 1.42 births per woman | 1.57 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.54 births per woman | 1.51 births per woman | 1.57 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.44 births per woman | 1.34 births per woman | 1.52 births per woman | 5 |
Countries ranked near European Union
- 42 Vanuatu 3.57 births per woman compare
- 43 Pakistan 3.55 births per woman compare
- 44 Solomon Islands 3.51 births per woman compare
- 45 Uzbekistan 3.49 births per woman compare
- 46 Ghana 3.34 births per woman compare
- 47 Naoero 3.29 births per woman compare
- 48 Palestine, State of 3.25 births per woman compare
More health data for European Union
- Population ages 70-74, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 80 and above, female, annual growth rate 1.2 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per capita 0.0197 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, annual growth rate 4.89 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per capita 0.0252 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, annual growth rate 4.78 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, male, per capita 0.0246 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, per capita 0.0293 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate, total in European Union?
- Fertility rate, total in European Union was 1.34 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 European Union?
- The highest recorded value was 2.62 births per woman in 1964.
- What is the lowest fertility rate, total recorded in European Union?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.34 births per woman in 2024.
- How does European Union rank for fertility rate, total?
- European Union ranks 45th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is fertility rate, total rising or falling in European Union?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this European Union 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.