Fertility vs child mortality in China
China: Fertility vs child mortality was 0.999 in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Fertility vs child mortality in China, 1950–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fertility vs child mortality in China is 0.999, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3.4% on the previous year and down 41.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility vs child mortality in China peaked at 7.51 in 1963 and was at its lowest, 0.999, in 2023.
China ranks 228th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Fertility vs child mortality in China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 5.81 | — |
| 1951 | 5.7 | -2.0% |
| 1952 | 6.47 | +13.6% |
| 1953 | 6.04 | -6.6% |
| 1954 | 6.28 | +3.9% |
| 1955 | 6.26 | -0.2% |
| 1956 | 5.85 | -6.5% |
| 1957 | 6.42 | +9.8% |
| 1958 | 5.7 | -11.3% |
| 1959 | 4.72 | -17.2% |
| 1960 | 4.45 | -5.7% |
| 1961 | 3.86 | -13.2% |
| 1962 | 6.08 | +57.5% |
| 1963 | 7.51 | +23.5% |
| 1964 | 6.67 | -11.2% |
| 1965 | 6.61 | -1.0% |
| 1966 | 6.31 | -4.5% |
| 1967 | 5.81 | -7.9% |
| 1968 | 6.51 | +12.1% |
| 1969 | 6.17 | -5.1% |
| 1970 | 6.08 | -1.5% |
| 1971 | 5.52 | -9.2% |
| 1972 | 5.11 | -7.4% |
| 1973 | 4.73 | -7.6% |
| 1974 | 4.17 | -11.8% |
| 1975 | 3.57 | -14.4% |
| 1976 | 3.23 | -9.4% |
| 1977 | 2.84 | -12.1% |
| 1978 | 2.72 | -4.5% |
| 1979 | 2.75 | +1.1% |
| 1980 | 2.74 | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 2.79 | +1.9% |
| 1982 | 2.97 | +6.4% |
| 1983 | 2.56 | -13.9% |
| 1984 | 2.61 | +1.9% |
| 1985 | 2.63 | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 2.72 | +3.3% |
| 1987 | 2.76 | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 2.54 | -8.0% |
| 1989 | 2.52 | -0.7% |
| 1990 | 2.51 | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 1.93 | -23.1% |
| 1992 | 1.78 | -8.2% |
| 1993 | 1.69 | -4.8% |
| 1994 | 1.63 | -3.7% |
| 1995 | 1.59 | -2.5% |
| 1996 | 1.55 | -2.1% |
| 1997 | 1.53 | -1.7% |
| 1998 | 1.52 | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 1.53 | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 1.63 | +6.4% |
| 2001 | 1.56 | -4.0% |
| 2002 | 1.57 | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 1.57 | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 1.6 | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 1.62 | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 1.64 | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 1.67 | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 1.7 | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 1.71 | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 1.69 | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 1.67 | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 1.8 | +7.8% |
| 2013 | 1.71 | -4.7% |
| 2014 | 1.77 | +3.2% |
| 2015 | 1.67 | -5.6% |
| 2016 | 1.77 | +6.1% |
| 2017 | 1.79 | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 1.54 | -14.3% |
| 2019 | 1.5 | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 1.24 | -17.4% |
| 2021 | 1.12 | -9.6% |
| 2022 | 1.03 | -7.4% |
| 2023 | 0.999 | -3.4% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 0.999 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.82, 55% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 0.999 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.13, 47% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fertility vs child mortality in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | +57.5% | 3.86 | 6.08 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 5.93 | 4.72 | 6.47 | 10 |
| 1960s | 6 | 3.86 | 7.51 | 10 |
| 1970s | 4.07 | 2.72 | 6.08 | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.68 | 2.52 | 2.97 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.73 | 1.52 | 2.51 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.63 | 1.56 | 1.71 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.69 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.1 | 0.999 | 1.24 | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
More health data for China
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.15 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.0985 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 4,642 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 10 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -8.22 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0159 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -8.73 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0176 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility vs child mortality in China?
- Fertility vs child mortality in China was 0.999 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertility vs child mortality recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 7.51 in 1963.
- What is the lowest fertility vs child mortality recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.999 in 2023.
- How does China rank for fertility vs child mortality?
- China ranks 228th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility vs child mortality rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 41.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility vs child mortality. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).