Fertility rate, total in World
World: Fertility rate, total was 2.19 births per woman in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
2.19 births per woman
Change on year
down 0.3%
Rank
22nd
of 45 groups
All-time high
5.31 births per woman
in 1963
All-time low
2.19 births per woman
in 2024
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Fertility rate, total in World, 1960–2024
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
World recorded 2.19 births per woman for fertility rate, total in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.3% on the previous year and down 13.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate, total in World peaked at 5.31 births per woman in 1963 and was at its lowest, 2.19 births per woman, in 2024.
World ranks 22nd 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 World, year by year
| Year | births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 4.69 births per woman | — |
| 1961 | 4.56 births per woman | -2.6% |
| 1962 | 5.02 births per woman | +10.1% |
| 1963 | 5.31 births per woman | +5.8% |
| 1964 | 5.13 births per woman | -3.5% |
| 1965 | 5.08 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1966 | 4.97 births per woman | -2.2% |
| 1967 | 4.87 births per woman | -2.1% |
| 1968 | 4.98 births per woman | +2.3% |
| 1969 | 4.88 births per woman | -2.0% |
| 1970 | 4.84 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1971 | 4.69 births per woman | -3.1% |
| 1972 | 4.55 births per woman | -3.0% |
| 1973 | 4.42 births per woman | -2.9% |
| 1974 | 4.26 births per woman | -3.7% |
| 1975 | 4.07 births per woman | -4.3% |
| 1976 | 3.97 births per woman | -2.6% |
| 1977 | 3.84 births per woman | -3.1% |
| 1978 | 3.77 births per woman | -1.8% |
| 1979 | 3.76 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 1980 | 3.73 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 1981 | 3.71 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 1982 | 3.72 births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 3.59 births per woman | -3.4% |
| 1984 | 3.57 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 1985 | 3.53 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1986 | 3.51 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1987 | 3.48 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1988 | 3.39 births per woman | -2.6% |
| 1989 | 3.35 births per woman | -1.4% |
| 1990 | 3.31 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1991 | 3.13 births per woman | -5.5% |
| 1992 | 3.04 births per woman | -2.8% |
| 1993 | 2.97 births per woman | -2.2% |
| 1994 | 2.92 births per woman | -1.8% |
| 1995 | 2.87 births per woman | -1.8% |
| 1996 | 2.82 births per woman | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 2.78 births per woman | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 2.75 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 2.72 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 2.73 births per woman | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 2.69 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2002 | 2.66 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 2.64 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 2.63 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 2.61 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 2.61 births per woman | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 2.6 births per woman | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 2.6 births per woman | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 2.59 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 2.57 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 2.55 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 2.56 births per woman | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 2.52 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 2.52 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 2.49 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 2.49 births per woman | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 2.46 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 2.39 births per woman | -2.8% |
| 2019 | 2.35 births per woman | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 2.28 births per woman | -3.3% |
| 2021 | 2.25 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 2.22 births per woman | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 2.2 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 2024 | 2.19 births per woman | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.95 births per woman | 4.56 births per woman | 5.31 births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 4.22 births per woman | 3.76 births per woman | 4.84 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.56 births per woman | 3.35 births per woman | 3.73 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.93 births per woman | 2.72 births per woman | 3.31 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.64 births per woman | 2.59 births per woman | 2.73 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.49 births per woman | 2.35 births per woman | 2.57 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.22 births per woman | 2.19 births per woman | 2.28 births per woman | 5 |
Countries ranked near World
More health data for World
- Population ages 0-14, total, annual growth rate -0.3771 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, per capita 0.2441 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, annual growth rate 1.06 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, per capita 0.321 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male, annual growth rate 1.13 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male, per capita 0.3309 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, total, annual growth rate 1.1 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate, total in World?
- Fertility rate, total in World was 2.19 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 World?
- The highest recorded value was 5.31 births per woman in 1963.
- What is the lowest fertility rate, total recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.19 births per woman in 2024.
- How does World rank for fertility rate, total?
- World ranks 22nd out of 45 groups with data for 2024.
- Is fertility rate, total rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this World 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.
Download this data
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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.