Fertility Rate by Country, 2026

Q: What is the total fertility rate?

The total fertility rate (TFR) is the average number of children a woman would have if she lived through her childbearing years at current age-specific birth rates. The world TFR is 2.23 children per woman in 2026.

Q: What is the replacement rate?

The replacement rate is about 2.1 children per woman in low-mortality settings. Below it, a population shrinks over time from births alone (immigration can offset this). The exact replacement rate is slightly higher where child mortality is high.

Q: Which country has the lowest fertility rate?

South Korea has the world's lowest fertility rate at 0.76 children per woman in 2026 (down from 6.06 in 1950). The ten lowest are South Korea, Singapore, Ukraine, China, Andorra, Malta, Chile, San Marino, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.

Q: Which country has the highest fertility rate?

Chad has the highest fertility rate at 5.84 children per woman in 2026. Nine of the ten highest are in Africa.

Q: How many countries are below replacement?

104 of 194 countries are below the 2.1 replacement rate in 2026.

Q: How do the fertility rate and the birth rate differ?

The total fertility rate is children per woman over a lifetime — 2.23 worldwide. The crude birth rate is births per 1,000 people in a year — 16.0 worldwide in 2026. TFR is age-standardized; the birth rate is easier to compare with the death rate.

Q: Will the world drop below replacement?

Around 2050: the UN projects a world TFR of 2.101 in 2049 and 2.097 in 2050. World population keeps growing to a peak of 10.3 billion in 2084.

Q: Where does the data come from?

UN World Population Prospects 2024: estimates for 1950–2023 and medium-variant projections from 2024.

The world averages 2.23 children per woman in 2026, just above the replacement level of 2.1. 104 of 194 countries are below it; Chad is highest at 5.84, South Korea lowest at 0.76.

Data: UN World Population Prospects 2024.

Fertility rate then and now

Birth year

1950–2026

Country

Fertility in the world

When you were born in 1990, the world fertility rate was 3.31 children per woman; in 2026 it is 2.23. That is above the replacement rate of 2.1.

Fertility rate trend over time

World

World TFR projection replacement (2.1) born 2026

Solid line is the UN estimate (1950–2023); the dashed extension is the medium-variant projection to 2050. The green dashed line is the replacement rate (2.1).

This URL updates as you change inputs — copy it to share your result. Life expectancy by country →

World fertility rate

2.23

children per woman · +0.13 vs the 2.1 replacement level

World birth rate

16.0

births per 1,000 people · −10.9 since 1990 (from 26.9)

World fertility rate map, 2026

Color shows the 2026 total fertility rate (children per woman). Indigo = below replacement; green = around replacement; warm = high. Hover a country for details; click to open.

Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024 · Boundaries: Natural Earth

Hover for details · Click to open · Scroll to zoom

Fertility rate (TFR):No data<1.51.5–2.12.1–33–44–55+ children

Very small countries such as Monaco, Nauru, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands don’t show at this map’s 1:110 million scale; the ranking table on this page lists them.

How many countries are below replacement?

104 of 194 countries now have a fertility rate below the replacement rate of 2.1 children per woman. The world average is 2.23 in 2026 — still above replacement; the UN projects the world crosses below 2.1 around 2050 (2.101 in 2049, 2.097 in 2050).

Highest and lowest fertility rates

10 highest (children per woman)

10 lowest (children per woman)

1.South Korea0.76
2.Singapore0.97
3.Ukraine1.00
4.China1.03
5.Andorra1.11
6.Malta1.12
7.Chile1.12
8.San Marino1.17
9.Thailand1.19
10.United Arab Emirates1.21

Nine of the ten highest are in Africa; Afghanistan is the exception. South Korea has the world's lowest fertility rate at 0.76 children per woman.

When major countries dropped below replacement

Country	Below 2.1 since	TFR 2026
Germany	1970	1.46
United States	1972	1.63
Canada	1972	1.33
United Kingdom	1973	1.53
Japan	1974 (first below in 1957)	1.23
France	1975	1.64
Singapore	1975	0.97
Australia	1976	1.64
Italy	1976	1.22
Spain	1981	1.24
South Korea	1984	0.76
Russia	1989 (first below in 1967)	1.47
Poland	1989	1.31
Thailand	1990	1.19
China	1991	1.03
Iran	1999	1.66
Brazil	2002	1.59
Mexico	2016	1.85
Turkey	2017 (first below in 2010)	1.62
India	2020	1.93

Each year is the start of the country's current unbroken run below the 2.1 replacement rate, from the annual UN series. Where a country dipped below 2.1 earlier and then recovered, that first year is noted in parentheses.

All 194 countries ranked by fertility rate

#	Country	Region	TFR	vs 2.1	Birth rate	Crossed below
1	Chad	Africa	5.84	+3.74	42.2	—
2	Somalia	Africa	5.81	+3.71	41.2	—
3	Democratic Republic of the Congo	Africa	5.80	+3.70	39.8	—
4	Central African Republic	Africa	5.69	+3.59	44.7	—
5	Niger	Africa	5.64	+3.54	40.2	—
6	Mali	Africa	5.33	+3.23	38.8	—
7	Angola	Africa	4.89	+2.79	36.3	—
8	Burundi	Africa	4.57	+2.47	32.0	—
9	Afghanistan	Asia	4.56	+2.46	33.8	—
10	Mozambique	Africa	4.54	+2.44	36.1	—
11	Mauritania	Africa	4.49	+2.39	33.2	—
12	Tanzania	Africa	4.41	+2.31	33.9	—
13	Benin	Africa	4.34	+2.24	32.6	—
14	Yemen	Asia	4.33	+2.23	32.7	—
15	Nigeria	Africa	4.21	+2.11	31.8	—
16	Sudan	Africa	4.13	+2.03	31.8	—
17	Cameroon	Africa	4.12	+2.02	32.4	—
18	Côte d'Ivoire	Africa	4.10	+2.00	30.7	—
19	Togo	Africa	4.01	+1.91	30.1	—
20	Congo	Africa	3.99	+1.89	29.9	—
21	Uganda	Africa	3.97	+1.87	33.1	—
22	Guinea	Africa	3.96	+1.86	32.2	—
23	Equatorial Guinea	Africa	3.96	+1.86	29.2	—
24	Burkina Faso	Africa	3.92	+1.82	30.4	—
25	Zambia	Africa	3.91	+1.81	32.0	—
26	Madagascar	Africa	3.78	+1.68	30.8	—
27	Ethiopia	Africa	3.72	+1.62	30.3	—
28	Liberia	Africa	3.71	+1.61	29.9	—
29	Comoros	Africa	3.71	+1.61	27.4	—
30	Samoa	Oceania	3.70	+1.60	24.4	—
31	Gambia	Africa	3.70	+1.60	28.7	—
32	Senegal	Africa	3.66	+1.56	28.6	—
33	South Sudan	Africa	3.63	+1.53	29.4	—
34	Guinea-Bissau	Africa	3.62	+1.52	28.7	—
35	Zimbabwe	Africa	3.57	+1.47	29.3	—
36	Eritrea	Africa	3.55	+1.45	28.6	—
37	Rwanda	Africa	3.54	+1.44	27.5	—
38	Sierra Leone	Africa	3.53	+1.43	29.0	—
39	Vanuatu	Oceania	3.50	+1.40	26.8	—
40	Gabon	Africa	3.49	+1.39	26.2	—
41	Sao Tome and Principe	Africa	3.47	+1.37	27.7	—
42	Malawi	Africa	3.45	+1.35	30.4	—
43	Pakistan	Asia	3.44	+1.34	26.7	—
44	Solomon Islands	Oceania	3.42	+1.32	26.1	—
45	Uzbekistan	Asia	3.40	+1.30	23.7	—
46	Ghana	Africa	3.26	+1.16	25.3	—
47	Nauru	Oceania	3.21	+1.11	23.6	—
48	Iraq	Asia	3.13	+1.03	25.0	—
49	Namibia	Africa	3.13	+1.03	25.0	—
50	Palestine	Asia	3.13	+1.03	25.4	—
51	Tuvalu	Oceania	3.10	+1.00	20.5	—
52	Kenya	Africa	3.07	+0.97	26.6	—
53	Kiribati	Oceania	3.06	+0.96	24.3	—
54	Tonga	Oceania	3.04	+0.94	22.6	—
55	Papua New Guinea	Oceania	2.99	+0.89	23.5	—
56	Tajikistan	Asia	2.96	+0.86	23.8	—
57	Kazakhstan	Asia	2.92	+0.82	18.5	—
58	Marshall Islands	Oceania	2.77	+0.67	19.5	—
59	Israel	Asia	2.73	+0.63	17.8	—
60	Kyrgyzstan	Asia	2.72	+0.62	20.1	—
61	Egypt	Africa	2.68	+0.58	20.5	—
62	Micronesia	Oceania	2.67	+0.57	22.0	—
63	Eswatini	Africa	2.64	+0.54	22.9	—
64	Botswana	Africa	2.63	+0.53	23.4	—
65	Algeria	Africa	2.62	+0.52	17.3	—
66	Syria	Asia	2.62	+0.52	23.6	—
67	Lesotho	Africa	2.61	+0.51	23.1	—
68	Turkmenistan	Asia	2.60	+0.50	19.2	—
69	Haiti	Latin America and the Caribbean	2.55	+0.45	21.3	—
70	Djibouti	Africa	2.54	+0.44	20.4	—
71	Jordan	Asia	2.54	+0.44	19.2	—
72	Mongolia	Asia	2.54	+0.44	16.9	—
73	Timor-Leste	Asia	2.50	+0.40	21.4	—
74	Cambodia	Asia	2.49	+0.39	19.5	—
75	Bolivia	Latin America and the Caribbean	2.47	+0.37	20.5	—
76	Oman	Asia	2.44	+0.34	16.0	—
77	Honduras	Latin America and the Caribbean	2.42	+0.32	20.9	—
78	Paraguay	Latin America and the Caribbean	2.37	+0.27	19.0	—
79	Guyana	Latin America and the Caribbean	2.35	+0.25	19.2	—
80	Laos	Asia	2.33	+0.23	20.1	—
81	Saudi Arabia	Asia	2.27	+0.17	16.1	—
82	Fiji	Oceania	2.23	+0.13	17.4	—
83	Guatemala	Latin America and the Caribbean	2.23	+0.13	20.1	—
84	Libya	Africa	2.21	+0.11	15.8	—
85	Lebanon	Asia	2.19	+0.09	15.7	—
86	Suriname	Latin America and the Caribbean	2.19	+0.09	16.8	—
87	Dominican Republic	Latin America and the Caribbean	2.17	+0.07	17.0	—
88	South Africa	Africa	2.17	+0.07	17.8	—
89	Morocco	Africa	2.16	+0.06	15.8	—
90	Nicaragua	Latin America and the Caribbean	2.16	+0.06	18.5	—
91	Bangladesh	Asia	2.09	−0.01	19.2	2026 (proj.)
92	Monaco	Europe	2.09	−0.01	9.7	2025 (proj.) (first below in 1987)
93	Indonesia	Asia	2.08	−0.02	15.4	2025 (proj.)
94	Panama	Latin America and the Caribbean	2.07	−0.03	15.5	2025 (proj.)
95	Myanmar	Asia	2.06	−0.04	16.0	2024 (proj.)
96	Seychelles	Africa	2.06	−0.04	13.2	2025 (proj.) (first below in 1998)
97	Venezuela	Latin America and the Caribbean	2.04	−0.06	15.4	2022
98	Belize	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.99	−0.11	17.4	2020
99	India	Asia	1.93	−0.17	15.6	2020
100	Peru	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.93	−0.17	15.3	2019
101	Sri Lanka	Asia	1.93	−0.17	13.6	2015
102	Nepal	Asia	1.92	−0.18	18.3	2019
103	Vietnam	Asia	1.86	−0.24	12.8	2016 (first below in 1998)
104	Philippines	Asia	1.86	−0.24	15.7	2020
105	Mexico	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.85	−0.25	15.0	2016
106	Palau	Oceania	1.84	−0.26	10.5	1998
107	Montenegro	Europe	1.79	−0.31	10.7	1986
108	Tunisia	Africa	1.79	−0.31	12.6	2020 (first below in 1999)
109	Ecuador	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.78	−0.32	14.5	2019
110	Georgia	Asia	1.78	−0.32	10.9	2018 (first below in 1992)
111	Bahrain	Asia	1.77	−0.33	11.9	2016 (first below in 2009)
112	North Korea	Asia	1.75	−0.35	12.3	1996
113	Bulgaria	Europe	1.74	−0.36	8.9	1980 (first below in 1965)
114	El Salvador	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.74	−0.36	15.2	2015
115	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.73	−0.37	11.7	2016 (first below in 2004)
116	Moldova	Europe	1.72	−0.38	10.1	1994
117	Armenia	Asia	1.71	−0.39	11.5	1994
118	Romania	Europe	1.71	−0.39	9.4	1990 (first below in 1962)
119	Barbados	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.71	−0.39	11.0	1978
120	Brunei	Asia	1.70	−0.40	12.7	2005
121	Qatar	Asia	1.69	−0.41	9.7	2011
122	Azerbaijan	Asia	1.66	−0.44	11.4	2015 (first below in 1996)
123	Iran	Asia	1.66	−0.44	11.8	1999
124	Australia	Oceania	1.64	−0.46	11.1	1976
125	New Zealand	Oceania	1.64	−0.46	11.0	2011 (first below in 1978)
126	France	Europe	1.64	−0.46	9.5	1975
127	United States	Northern America	1.63	−0.47	10.5	1972
128	Turkey	Asia	1.62	−0.48	11.9	2017 (first below in 2010)
129	Colombia	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.61	−0.49	12.7	2009
130	Ireland	Europe	1.60	−0.50	9.8	1991 (first below in 1989)
131	Brazil	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.59	−0.51	11.7	2002
132	Slovenia	Europe	1.58	−0.52	8.0	1981
133	Slovakia	Europe	1.57	−0.53	8.8	1989
134	Antigua and Barbuda	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.57	−0.53	11.4	2001 (first below in 1982)
135	Liechtenstein	Europe	1.54	−0.56	9.2	1970
136	Maldives	Asia	1.53	−0.57	9.8	2014
137	United Kingdom	Europe	1.53	−0.57	9.7	1973
138	Denmark	Europe	1.52	−0.58	9.9	1969
139	Portugal	Europe	1.52	−0.58	8.2	1982
140	Malaysia	Asia	1.52	−0.58	12.1	2013
141	Trinidad and Tobago	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.52	−0.58	10.1	1994
142	Argentina	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.51	−0.59	11.1	2018
143	Serbia	Europe	1.51	−0.59	8.6	1963
144	Bosnia and Herzegovina	Europe	1.50	−0.60	7.7	1978
145	Hungary	Europe	1.50	−0.60	8.7	1978 (first below in 1959)
146	Saint Kitts and Nevis	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.50	−0.60	11.2	2001
147	Iceland	Europe	1.49	−0.61	10.8	2011 (first below in 1984)
148	Kuwait	Asia	1.49	−0.61	9.7	2019 (first below in 2010)
149	Cabo Verde	Africa	1.49	−0.61	12.0	2013
150	Czech Republic	Europe	1.47	−0.63	7.9	1980 (first below in 1959)
151	Croatia	Europe	1.47	−0.63	8.0	1968
152	North Macedonia	Europe	1.47	−0.63	8.9	1996
153	Russia	Europe	1.47	−0.63	8.5	1989 (first below in 1967)
154	Dominica	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.46	−0.64	10.7	2003
155	Germany	Europe	1.46	−0.64	8.2	1970
156	Cuba	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.46	−0.64	8.5	1978
157	Grenada	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.45	−0.65	11.0	2009
158	Switzerland	Europe	1.45	−0.65	9.0	1971
159	Sweden	Europe	1.45	−0.65	9.0	1992 (first below in 1968)
160	Netherlands	Europe	1.44	−0.66	9.5	1973
161	Bhutan	Asia	1.43	−0.67	12.2	2012
162	Norway	Europe	1.42	−0.68	9.4	1975
163	Luxembourg	Europe	1.41	−0.69	10.1	1969 (first below by 1950)
164	Belgium	Europe	1.40	−0.70	8.6	1972
165	Estonia	Europe	1.38	−0.72	7.6	1990 (first below in 1956)
166	Uruguay	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.38	−0.72	9.7	2004
167	Saint Lucia	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.37	−0.73	10.9	2002
168	Cyprus	Asia	1.37	−0.73	9.9	1995 (first below in 1977)
169	Bahamas	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.36	−0.74	10.5	2000
170	Latvia	Europe	1.35	−0.75	7.3	1989 (first below by 1950)
171	Greece	Europe	1.34	−0.76	6.8	1982
172	Austria	Europe	1.34	−0.76	8.2	1972 (first below by 1950)
173	Jamaica	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.33	−0.77	11.1	2006
174	Canada	Northern America	1.33	−0.77	8.9	1972
175	Albania	Europe	1.32	−0.78	9.7	2002
176	Poland	Europe	1.31	−0.79	7.5	1989
177	Costa Rica	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.31	−0.79	9.7	2003
178	Finland	Europe	1.30	−0.80	7.8	1969
179	Spain	Europe	1.24	−0.86	6.8	1981
180	Belarus	Europe	1.23	−0.87	6.9	1987 (first below in 1976)
181	Japan	Asia	1.23	−0.87	6.1	1974 (first below in 1957)
182	Lithuania	Europe	1.22	−0.88	7.7	1988 (first below in 1978)
183	Italy	Europe	1.22	−0.88	6.4	1976
184	Mauritius	Africa	1.21	−0.89	8.9	1997 (first below in 1985)
185	United Arab Emirates	Asia	1.21	−0.89	10.3	2006
186	Thailand	Asia	1.19	−0.91	7.9	1990
187	San Marino	Europe	1.17	−0.93	5.8	1975
188	Chile	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.12	−0.98	8.5	1999
189	Malta	Europe	1.12	−0.98	7.7	1978 (first below in 1968)
190	Andorra	Europe	1.11	−0.99	6.9	1977
191	China	Asia	1.03	−1.07	6.1	1991
192	Ukraine	Europe	1.00	−1.10	6.1	1987 (first below in 1964)
193	Singapore	Asia	0.97	−1.13	8.6	1975
194	South Korea	Asia	0.76	−1.34	4.8	1984

TFR = total fertility rate (children per woman). Birth rate = crude birth rate per 1,000 people, 2026. "Crossed below" = first year of the current run below 2.1; years from 2024 on are UN medium-variant projections, and "by 1950" means already below 2.1 when the UN series starts. World TFR: 2.23. Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024. Vatican City is not included in these rankings.

Frequently asked questions

What is the total fertility rate?

The total fertility rate (TFR) is the average number of children a woman would have if she lived through her childbearing years at current age-specific birth rates. The world TFR is 2.23 children per woman in 2026.

What is the replacement rate?

The replacement rate is about 2.1 children per woman in low-mortality settings. Below it, a population shrinks over time from births alone (immigration can offset this). The exact replacement rate is slightly higher where child mortality is high.

Which country has the lowest fertility rate?

South Korea has the world's lowest fertility rate at 0.76 children per woman in 2026 (down from 6.06 in 1950). The ten lowest are South Korea, Singapore, Ukraine, China, Andorra, Malta, Chile, San Marino, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.

Which country has the highest fertility rate?

Chad has the highest fertility rate at 5.84 children per woman in 2026. Nine of the ten highest are in Africa.

How many countries are below replacement?

104 of 194 countries are below the 2.1 replacement rate in 2026.

How do the fertility rate and the birth rate differ?

The total fertility rate is children per woman over a lifetime — 2.23 worldwide. The crude birth rate is births per 1,000 people in a year — 16.0 worldwide in 2026. TFR is age-standardized; the birth rate is easier to compare with the death rate.

Will the world drop below replacement?

Around 2050: the UN projects a world TFR of 2.101 in 2049 and 2.097 in 2050. World population keeps growing to a peak of 10.3 billion in 2084.

Where does the data come from?

UN World Population Prospects 2024: estimates for 1950–2023 and medium-variant projections from 2024.

Related demographic tools & calculators

Source

All figures are from UN World Population Prospects 2024 — annual total fertility rate and crude birth rate, estimates for 1950–2023 and medium-variant projections from 2024. Charts are inline SVG generated server-side.