Fertility rate, total in South Asia
South Asia: Fertility rate, total was 1.98 births per woman in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
1.98 births per woman
Change on year
down 0.7%
Rank
26th
of 45 groups
All-time high
6.05 births per woman
in 1964
All-time low
1.98 births per woman
in 2024
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Fertility rate, total in South Asia, 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 South Asia stood at 1.98 births per woman. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 13.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate, total in South Asia peaked at 6.05 births per woman in 1964 and was at its lowest, 1.98 births per woman, in 2024.
South Asia ranks 26th of 45 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Fertility rate, total in South Asia, year by year
| Year | births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 6 births per woman | — |
| 1961 | 6.01 births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1962 | 6.03 births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1963 | 6.04 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1964 | 6.05 births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1965 | 6.01 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1966 | 5.95 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1967 | 5.91 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1968 | 5.85 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1969 | 5.78 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1970 | 5.73 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1971 | 5.68 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1972 | 5.6 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 1973 | 5.53 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 1974 | 5.46 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 1975 | 5.34 births per woman | -2.2% |
| 1976 | 5.27 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1977 | 5.16 births per woman | -2.2% |
| 1978 | 5.05 births per woman | -2.1% |
| 1979 | 4.97 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 1980 | 4.93 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1981 | 4.86 births per woman | -1.6% |
| 1982 | 4.77 births per woman | -1.8% |
| 1983 | 4.7 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 1984 | 4.64 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 1985 | 4.54 births per woman | -2.0% |
| 1986 | 4.48 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1987 | 4.38 births per woman | -2.3% |
| 1988 | 4.28 births per woman | -2.3% |
| 1989 | 4.19 births per woman | -2.2% |
| 1990 | 4.09 births per woman | -2.3% |
| 1991 | 3.99 births per woman | -2.5% |
| 1992 | 3.89 births per woman | -2.4% |
| 1993 | 3.8 births per woman | -2.3% |
| 1994 | 3.73 births per woman | -2.0% |
| 1995 | 3.64 births per woman | -2.2% |
| 1996 | 3.57 births per woman | -2.0% |
| 1997 | 3.51 births per woman | -1.8% |
| 1998 | 3.44 births per woman | -2.0% |
| 1999 | 3.37 births per woman | -1.9% |
| 2000 | 3.33 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 3.28 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2002 | 3.2 births per woman | -2.6% |
| 2003 | 3.1 births per woman | -3.0% |
| 2004 | 3.03 births per woman | -2.5% |
| 2005 | 2.94 births per woman | -2.9% |
| 2006 | 2.85 births per woman | -3.1% |
| 2007 | 2.76 births per woman | -3.2% |
| 2008 | 2.69 births per woman | -2.5% |
| 2009 | 2.64 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 2.57 births per woman | -3.0% |
| 2011 | 2.5 births per woman | -2.6% |
| 2012 | 2.44 births per woman | -2.3% |
| 2013 | 2.38 births per woman | -2.6% |
| 2014 | 2.28 births per woman | -4.0% |
| 2015 | 2.28 births per woman | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 2.27 births per woman | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 2.19 births per woman | -3.6% |
| 2018 | 2.18 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 2.12 births per woman | -2.6% |
| 2020 | 2.06 births per woman | -3.0% |
| 2021 | 2.03 births per woman | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 2.01 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 2 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 2024 | 1.98 births per woman | -0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.96 births per woman | 5.78 births per woman | 6.05 births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 5.38 births per woman | 4.97 births per woman | 5.73 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.58 births per woman | 4.19 births per woman | 4.93 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.7 births per woman | 3.37 births per woman | 4.09 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.98 births per woman | 2.64 births per woman | 3.33 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.32 births per woman | 2.12 births per woman | 2.57 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.02 births per woman | 1.98 births per woman | 2.06 births per woman | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Asia
More health data for South Asia
- Population ages 15-64, male, annual growth rate 1.18 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, total, per capita 0.6806 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, total, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, total, annual growth rate 1.17 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male, per capita 0.3493 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, per capita 0.2459 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, annual growth rate 1.17 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, female, annual growth rate 3.93 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate, total in South Asia?
- Fertility rate, total in South Asia was 1.98 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 South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 6.05 births per woman in 1964.
- What is the lowest fertility rate, total recorded in South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.98 births per woman in 2024.
- How does South Asia rank for fertility rate, total?
- South Asia ranks 26th out of 45 groups with data for 2024.
- Is fertility rate, total rising or falling in South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Asia 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.