Fertility rate, total in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Fertility rate, total was 4.26 births per woman in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
4.26 births per woman
Change on year
down 1.6%
Rank
5th
of 47 groups
All-time high
6.81 births per woman
in 1978
All-time low
4.26 births per woman
in 2024
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Fertility rate, total in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1960–2024
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) recorded 4.26 births per woman for fertility rate, total in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
The figure is down 1.6% on the previous year and down 15.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate, total in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 6.81 births per woman in 1978 and was at its lowest, 4.26 births per woman, in 2024.
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 5th of 47 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Fertility rate, total in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 6.57 births per woman | — |
| 1961 | 6.59 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1962 | 6.6 births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1963 | 6.62 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1964 | 6.64 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 6.65 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1966 | 6.68 births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1967 | 6.69 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1968 | 6.71 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1969 | 6.72 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1970 | 6.74 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1971 | 6.76 births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1972 | 6.77 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1973 | 6.78 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1974 | 6.8 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1975 | 6.81 births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 6.81 births per woman | -0.0% |
| 1977 | 6.81 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 6.81 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 6.79 births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 6.77 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1981 | 6.75 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1982 | 6.72 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 6.69 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 1984 | 6.64 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 1985 | 6.59 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1986 | 6.54 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 6.49 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 1988 | 6.43 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1989 | 6.37 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1990 | 6.3 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1991 | 6.24 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 6.18 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 6.13 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 6.07 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 6.01 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 5.94 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1997 | 5.87 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 5.82 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 5.78 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 5.74 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 5.7 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 5.65 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 5.61 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 5.59 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 5.56 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 5.52 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 5.48 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 5.45 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 5.39 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 5.33 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 5.25 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 5.18 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 5.1 births per woman | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 5.02 births per woman | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 4.94 births per woman | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 4.86 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 4.78 births per woman | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 4.7 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 4.61 births per woman | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 4.53 births per woman | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 4.46 births per woman | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 4.4 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 4.33 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2024 | 4.26 births per woman | -1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.65 births per woman | 6.57 births per woman | 6.72 births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.79 births per woman | 6.74 births per woman | 6.81 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.6 births per woman | 6.37 births per woman | 6.77 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.03 births per woman | 5.78 births per woman | 6.3 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.57 births per woman | 5.39 births per woman | 5.74 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.98 births per woman | 4.61 births per woman | 5.33 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.4 births per woman | 4.26 births per woman | 4.53 births per woman | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- 2 Somalia 6.01 births per woman compare
- 3 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 5.98 births per woman compare
- 4 Central African Republic 5.95 births per woman compare
- 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
More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per capita 0.0235 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per capita 0.024 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, annual growth rate 3.14 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, male, annual growth rate 3.97 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, per capita 0.0195 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, annual growth rate 3.23 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, annual growth rate 3.83 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate, total in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Fertility rate, total in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 4.26 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 Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 6.81 births per woman in 1978.
- What is the lowest fertility rate, total recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.26 births per woman in 2024.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for fertility rate, total?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 5th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is fertility rate, total rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 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.