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World data · 194 countries · updated October 2026

Fertility rate by country

The total fertility rate for 194 countries, ranked, with what each level means for the size of Generation Beta.

The short answer

DR Congo leads the 194 countries ranked here on total fertility rate at 6, followed by Chad at 5.8 and Somalia at 5.8. The median country is Gibraltar at 1.9, against a world average of 2.2.

#1 6 DR Congo Sub-Saharan Africa #2 5.8 Chad Sub-Saharan Africa #3 5.8 Somalia Sub-Saharan Africa Median 1.9 Gibraltar The middle of 194
World 2.2 World average Population-weighted

What this measures

The average number of children a woman would have across her lifetime at current age-specific birth rates.

What it does not

It is a synthetic measure, not a count of completed families. It moves sharply when people delay having children even if they eventually have the same number.

The bottom of the table

China 1

Bars are scaled across the full observed range (0.72 to 6), not to 100%, so the real spread is visible.

How the values are spread

Where the 194 countries fall

The range from 0.72 to 6 is split into 10 equal bands, and each bar counts the countries in one band.

Number of countries in each band of total fertility rate
BandCountriesIncluding
0.72 to 1.25 20 Mauritius, United Arab Emirates, Japan and 17 more
1.25 to 1.78 68 Iran, Qatar, Malaysia and 65 more
1.78 to 2.30 34 Laos, Guatemala, Guyana and 31 more
2.30 to 2.83 20 Egypt, Marshall Islands, Israel and 17 more
2.83 to 3.36 9 Kenya, Nauru, Namibia and 6 more
3.36 to 3.89 18 Madagascar, Liberia, Gambia and 15 more
3.89 to 4.42 14 Uganda, Sudan, Cameroon and 11 more
4.42 to 4.94 5 Nigeria, Tanzania, Mozambique and 2 more
4.94 to 5.47 2 Mali, Angola
5.47 to 6.00 4 DR Congo, Chad, Somalia and 1 more

How this is built: each band is one tenth of the gap between the lowest and highest value; a country is counted in the band its value falls in, and the top band includes the highest value. Countries with no comparable figure are left out. Chart drawn with Apache ECharts.

The full ranking

All 194 countries

Click any column heading to re-sort. Type to filter, or pick a region. Every country name links to its full profile.

194 countries shown

Fertility rate by country, ranked. Column headings re-sort the table.
Rank Country Total fertility rate Bar Region Gen Alpha
#1 DR Congo 6
Sub-Saharan Africa 44m
#2 Chad 5.8
Sub-Saharan Africa 10m
#3 Somalia 5.8
Sub-Saharan Africa 10m
#4 Central African Republic 5.7
Sub-Saharan Africa 3m
#5 Mali 5.3
Sub-Saharan Africa 12m
#6 Angola 5.1
Sub-Saharan Africa 15m
#7 Nigeria 4.8
Sub-Saharan Africa 95m
#8 Tanzania 4.6
Sub-Saharan Africa 28m
#9 Mozambique 4.6
Sub-Saharan Africa 14m
#10 Mauritania 4.5
Sub-Saharan Africa 2m
#11 Afghanistan 4.5
Middle East & North Africa 17m
#12 Uganda 4.4
Sub-Saharan Africa 20m
#13 Sudan 4.3
Sub-Saharan Africa 19m
#14 Cameroon 4.3
Sub-Saharan Africa 12m
#15 Benin 4.3
Sub-Saharan Africa 6m
#16 Yemen 4.3
Middle East & North Africa 18m
#17 Côte d'Ivoire 4.2
Sub-Saharan Africa 12m
#18 Senegal 4.2
Sub-Saharan Africa 7m
#19 Guinea 4
Sub-Saharan Africa 6m
#20 Togo 4
Sub-Saharan Africa 4m
#21 Republic of the Congo 4
Sub-Saharan Africa 3m
#22 Equatorial Guinea 4
Sub-Saharan Africa 736k
#23 Ethiopia 3.9
Sub-Saharan Africa 48m
#24 Burkina Faso 3.9
Sub-Saharan Africa 10m
#25 Zambia 3.9
Sub-Saharan Africa 9m
#26 Madagascar 3.8
Sub-Saharan Africa 13m
#27 Liberia 3.7
Sub-Saharan Africa 2m
#28 Gambia 3.7
Sub-Saharan Africa 1m
#29 Comoros 3.7
Sub-Saharan Africa 331k
#30 Samoa 3.7
Oceania 84k
#31 South Sudan 3.6
Sub-Saharan Africa 5m
#32 Eritrea 3.6
Sub-Saharan Africa 1m
#33 Guinea-Bissau 3.6
Sub-Saharan Africa 881k
#34 Ghana 3.5
Sub-Saharan Africa 12m
#35 Rwanda 3.5
Sub-Saharan Africa 6m
#36 Sierra Leone 3.5
Sub-Saharan Africa 3m
#37 Gabon 3.5
Sub-Saharan Africa 959k
#38 São Tomé and Príncipe 3.5
Sub-Saharan Africa 92k
#39 Iraq 3.5
Middle East & North Africa 16m
#40 Malawi 3.4
Sub-Saharan Africa 9m
#41 Zimbabwe 3.4
Sub-Saharan Africa 7m
#42 Pakistan 3.4
South Asia 80m
#43 Uzbekistan 3.4
Europe & Central Asia 12m
#44 Kenya 3.2
Sub-Saharan Africa 19m
#45 Nauru 3.2
Oceania 5k
#46 Namibia 3.1
Sub-Saharan Africa 1m
#47 Palestine 3.1
Middle East & North Africa 2m
#48 Kiribati 3.1
Oceania 48k
#49 Tuvalu 3.1
Oceania 3k
#50 Tonga 3
Oceania 36k
#51 Tajikistan 3
Europe & Central Asia 4m
#52 Kazakhstan 2.9
Europe & Central Asia 6m
#53 Egypt 2.8
Middle East & North Africa 34m
#54 Marshall Islands 2.8
Oceania 12k
#55 Israel 2.7
Middle East & North Africa 3m
#56 Micronesia 2.7
Oceania 36k
#57 Kyrgyzstan 2.7
Europe & Central Asia 2m
#58 Lesotho 2.6
Sub-Saharan Africa 815k
#59 Eswatini 2.6
Sub-Saharan Africa 419k
#60 Algeria 2.6
Middle East & North Africa 14m
#61 Syria 2.6
Middle East & North Africa 8m
#62 Turkmenistan 2.6
Europe & Central Asia 2m
#63 Haiti 2.6
Latin America 4m
#64 Jordan 2.5
Middle East & North Africa 4m
#65 Djibouti 2.5
Middle East & North Africa 345k
#66 Mongolia 2.5
East Asia & Pacific 1m
#67 Timor-Leste 2.5
East Asia & Pacific 476k
#68 Saudi Arabia 2.4
Middle East & North Africa 9m
#69 Oman 2.4
Middle East & North Africa 1m
#70 Bolivia 2.4
Latin America 3m
#71 Honduras 2.4
Latin America 3m
#72 Paraguay 2.4
Latin America 2m
#73 Laos 2.3
East Asia & Pacific 2m
#74 Guatemala 2.3
Latin America 6m
#75 Guyana 2.3
Latin America 243k
#76 South Africa 2.2
Sub-Saharan Africa 17m
#77 Morocco 2.2
Middle East & North Africa 10m
#78 Libya 2.2
Middle East & North Africa 2m
#79 Lebanon 2.2
Middle East & North Africa 2m
#80 Venezuela 2.2
Latin America 7m
#81 Dominican Republic 2.2
Latin America 3m
#82 Nicaragua 2.2
Latin America 2m
#83 Suriname 2.2
Latin America 163k
#84 Seychelles 2.1
Sub-Saharan Africa 27k
#85 Bangladesh 2.1
South Asia 44m
#86 Indonesia 2.1
East Asia & Pacific 68m
#87 Myanmar 2.1
East Asia & Pacific 13m
#88 Monaco 2.1
Europe & Central Asia 5k
#89 Panama 2.1
Latin America 1m
#90 India 2
South Asia 327m
#91 Peru 2
Latin America 8m
#92 Ecuador 2
Latin America 4m
#93 Belize 2
Latin America 113k
#94 Nepal 1.9
South Asia 8m
#95 Sri Lanka 1.9
South Asia 4m
#96 Philippines 1.9
East Asia & Pacific 32m
#97 Vietnam 1.9
East Asia & Pacific 23m
#98 Gibraltar 1.9
Europe & Central Asia 7k
#99 Argentina 1.9
Latin America 11m
#100 Tunisia 1.8
Middle East & North Africa 3m
#101 Bahrain 1.8
Middle East & North Africa 309k
#102 North Korea 1.8
East Asia & Pacific 5m
#103 Palau 1.8
Oceania 3k
#104 Georgia 1.8
Europe & Central Asia 780k
#105 Montenegro 1.8
Europe & Central Asia 112k
#106 Mexico 1.8
North America 31m
#107 Iran 1.7
Middle East & North Africa 18m
#108 Qatar 1.7
Middle East & North Africa 476k
#109 Malaysia 1.7
East Asia & Pacific 8m
#110 Brunei 1.7
East Asia & Pacific 97k
#111 France 1.7
Europe & Central Asia 12m
#112 Romania 1.7
Europe & Central Asia 3m
#113 Azerbaijan 1.7
Europe & Central Asia 2m
#114 Bulgaria 1.7
Europe & Central Asia 960k
#115 Moldova 1.7
Europe & Central Asia 578k
#116 Armenia 1.7
Europe & Central Asia 557k
#117 El Salvador 1.7
Latin America 2m
#118 Barbados 1.7
Latin America 48k
#119 St Vincent and the Grenadines 1.7
Latin America 21k
#120 United States 1.62
North America 62m
#121 Turkey 1.6
Middle East & North Africa 19m
#122 Australia 1.6
Oceania 5m
#123 New Zealand 1.6
Oceania 1m
#124 Slovakia 1.6
Europe & Central Asia 849k
#125 Slovenia 1.6
Europe & Central Asia 306k
#126 Colombia 1.6
Latin America 11m
#127 Aruba 1.6
Latin America 18k
#128 Antigua and Barbuda 1.6
Latin America 17k
#129 Brazil 1.55
Latin America 44m
#130 Cape Verde 1.5
Sub-Saharan Africa 131k
#131 Kuwait 1.5
Middle East & North Africa 917k
#132 Maldives 1.5
South Asia 101k
#133 Czechia 1.5
Europe & Central Asia 2m
#134 Portugal 1.5
Europe & Central Asia 1m
#135 Hungary 1.5
Europe & Central Asia 1m
#136 Serbia 1.5
Europe & Central Asia 947k
#137 Denmark 1.5
Europe & Central Asia 937k
#138 Ireland 1.5
Europe & Central Asia 1m
#139 Croatia 1.5
Europe & Central Asia 524k
#140 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.5
Europe & Central Asia 400k
#141 North Macedonia 1.5
Europe & Central Asia 298k
#142 Iceland 1.5
Europe & Central Asia 70k
#143 Liechtenstein 1.5
Europe & Central Asia 6k
#144 Cuba 1.5
Latin America 2m
#145 Trinidad and Tobago 1.5
Latin America 265k
#146 Cayman Islands 1.5
Latin America 12k
#147 Dominica 1.5
Latin America 12k
#148 St Kitts and Nevis 1.5
Latin America 9k
#149 United Kingdom 1.44
Europe & Central Asia 12m
#150 Russia 1.4
Europe & Central Asia 26m
#151 Germany 1.4
Europe & Central Asia 12m
#152 Netherlands 1.4
Europe & Central Asia 3m
#153 Belgium 1.4
Europe & Central Asia 2m
#154 Sweden 1.4
Europe & Central Asia 2m
#155 Switzerland 1.4
Europe & Central Asia 1m
#156 Norway 1.4
Europe & Central Asia 900k
#157 Latvia 1.4
Europe & Central Asia 279k
#158 Cyprus 1.4
Europe & Central Asia 222k
#159 Estonia 1.4
Europe & Central Asia 203k
#160 Luxembourg 1.4
Europe & Central Asia 108k
#161 Bermuda 1.4
North America 9k
#162 Uruguay 1.4
Latin America 605k
#163 Bahamas 1.4
Latin America 71k
#164 St Lucia 1.4
Latin America 31k
#165 Grenada 1.4
Latin America 22k
#166 Turks and Caicos Islands 1.4
Latin America 8k
#167 Sint Maarten 1.4
Latin America 7k
#168 Greece 1.3
Europe & Central Asia 1m
#169 Austria 1.3
Europe & Central Asia 1m
#170 Finland 1.3
Europe & Central Asia 806k
#171 Albania 1.3
Europe & Central Asia 457k
#172 Canada 1.3
North America 6m
#173 Costa Rica 1.3
Latin America 947k
#174 Jamaica 1.3
Latin America 518k
#175 Mauritius 1.2
Sub-Saharan Africa 184k
#176 United Arab Emirates 1.2
Middle East & North Africa 2m
#177 Japan 1.2
East Asia & Pacific 14m
#178 Thailand 1.2
East Asia & Pacific 11m
#179 Italy 1.2
Europe & Central Asia 7m
#180 Spain 1.2
Europe & Central Asia 6m
#181 Ukraine 1.2
Europe & Central Asia 6m
#182 Poland 1.2
Europe & Central Asia 6m
#183 Belarus 1.2
Europe & Central Asia 1m
#184 Lithuania 1.2
Europe & Central Asia 406k
#185 San Marino 1.2
Europe & Central Asia 4k
#186 Chile 1.2
Latin America 4m
#187 Malta 1.1
Middle East & North Africa 71k
#188 Andorra 1.1
Europe & Central Asia 10k
#189 Curaçao 1.1
Latin America 27k
#190 British Virgin Islands 1.1
Latin America 6k
#191 China 1
East Asia & Pacific 230m
#192 Singapore 1
East Asia & Pacific 690k
#193 Puerto Rico 0.9
Latin America 362k
#194 South Korea 0.72
East Asia & Pacific 6m

Reading the table

Replacement level is 2.1. Below that, a population shrinks over time unless migration makes up the difference. Of the 194 countries here, 105 are already below it.

The top of the table is Sub-Saharan Africa: DR Congo at 6.0, Angola at 5.1, Nigeria at 4.8. The bottom is East Asia: South Korea at 0.72 — the lowest national fertility rate ever recorded anywhere — China at 1.0, and Thailand and several European countries at 1.2.

South Korea deserves its own sentence. At 0.72, each generation is roughly a third the size of the one before it. That is not a slow decline; compounded across three generations it is a national population problem with no historical precedent and no tested solution.

Iran is the sleeper entry. It fell from over 6 in the 1980s to 1.7 today — one of the fastest fertility transitions ever recorded, and evidence that these numbers can move much faster than projections assume.

Run the numbers yourself

Tools that use this data

World Fertility Decline Chart

Children per woman, worldwide, from 1960 to today. The single most consequential line in…

→

Fertility Impact Calculator

How much a change in global fertility changes the final size of Generation Beta.

→

Frequently asked

Which country has the lowest fertility rate?

South Korea, at 0.72 children per woman — the lowest national fertility rate ever recorded.

Which country has the highest fertility rate?

Of the 194 countries profiled, DR Congo at 6.0 children per woman.

What is replacement level fertility?

2.1 children per woman. Below that level a population declines over time unless immigration compensates.

What is the world average fertility rate?

About 2.2, which is only just above replacement level and still falling.

Does low fertility mean fewer children immediately?

No. Population momentum means a country with many people of childbearing age keeps having lots of babies for years after fertility falls below replacement. The effect arrives a generation later.

How many countries are in this table?

This table ranks 194 countries with a comparable figure, out of the 194 countries profiled on AlphaBetaMinds. The countries in this table hold about 98% of the world population.

Can I reuse this data?

Yes, free of charge and commercially, with a credit to AlphaBetaMinds and a link to this page. The full dataset is also available as plain text at https://alphabetaminds.com/llms-countries.txt.

Other data tables
Generation Alpha population Generation Alpha share of population Projected Generation Beta births Under-15 population share Median age Births per day School starting age Compulsory years of schooling Secondary school completion Daily screen time, ages 8–12 Internet use Cost of raising a child to 18 Life expectancy at birth Urban population share Under-15 population change to 2040 Youth dependency ratio
Cite this table

AlphaBetaMinds (2026). Fertility rate by country. Retrieved from https://alphabetaminds.com/data/fertility-rate-by-country

Download the full dataset (CSV)

Sources: UN World Population Prospects, World Bank Open Data, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, ITU. Figures are 2025–2026 estimates. Method on our methodology page.