Fertility rate, total in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: 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
6th
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, 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 Sub-Saharan Africa is 4.26 births per woman, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
That represents a change of 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 peaked at 6.81 births per woman in 1978 and was at its lowest, 4.26 births per woman, in 2024.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 6th 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 Sub-Saharan Africa, 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 | 6.06 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 6 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 5.94 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1997 | 5.87 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 5.81 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 | 5.32 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 | 5.32 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
- 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
- 9 Afghanistan 4.76 births per woman compare
More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Population ages 0-14, total, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate 1.63 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.2041 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, annual growth rate 1.62 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, annual growth rate 2.96 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, per capita 0.2837 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.1997 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, per capita 0.4038 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate, total in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Fertility rate, total in Sub-Saharan Africa 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?
- The highest recorded value was 6.81 births per woman in 1978.
- What is the lowest fertility rate, total recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.26 births per woman in 2024.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for fertility rate, total?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 6th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is fertility rate, total rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 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 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.