China vs South Africa: Fertility rate

Fertility rate in 2023: 1 births per woman in China and 2.22 births per woman in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 1.22 births per woman, or 2.22 times that in China.

ChinaSouth Africa

Watch it change on the map

births per woman · UN

All years Since 1990 Since 2010

Values Change

Linear Log

World Projection

ChinaSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction interval

Latest figures

births per woman · UN

Country	Latest	10 years before	Rank in 2023	Projected
China	1 2023	1.71	221 of 229	1.35 2100
South Africa	2.22 2023	2.43	96 of 229	1.74 2100
World	2.25 2023	2.57		1.84 2100

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher since 1971, when it overtook China.
In 2023, China ranked 221 and South Africa ranked 96 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts China at 1.35 births per woman and South Africa at 1.74 births per woman in 2100.
The world as a whole: 2.25 births per woman in 2023.

Every year

births per woman · UN

Year	China	South Africa	World
2023	1	2.22	2.25
2022	1.03	2.23	2.27
2021	1.12	2.25	2.29
2020	1.24	2.26	2.32
2019	1.5	2.26	2.4
2018	1.54	2.27	2.44
2017	1.8	2.28	2.5
2016	1.77	2.26	2.54
2015	1.67	2.36	2.54
2014	1.77	2.42	2.56
2013	1.71	2.43	2.57
2012	1.8	2.45	2.61
2011	1.67	2.44	2.59
2010	1.69	2.45	2.6
2009	1.71	2.5	2.62
2008	1.7	2.68	2.63
2007	1.67	2.55	2.62
2006	1.64	2.55	2.63
2005	1.62	2.51	2.63
2004	1.61	2.44	2.65
2003	1.57	2.36	2.66
2002	1.57	2.32	2.68
2001	1.56	2.37	2.71
2000	1.63	2.41	2.75
1999	1.53	2.56	2.75
1998	1.52	2.63	2.78
1997	1.53	2.73	2.81
1996	1.55	2.99	2.85
1995	1.59	3.17	2.89
1994	1.63	3.26	2.93
1993	1.69	3.37	2.98
1992	1.78	3.48	3.04
1991	1.93	3.62	3.13
1990	2.51	3.72	3.31
1989	2.52	3.98	3.35
1988	2.54	4.18	3.39
1987	2.76	4.35	3.48
1986	2.72	4.41	3.5
1985	2.63	4.5	3.51
1984	2.61	4.57	3.55
1983	2.56	4.63	3.58
1982	2.97	4.7	3.71
1981	2.79	4.71	3.71
1980	2.74	4.78	3.74
1979	2.75	4.82	3.77
1978	2.72	4.85	3.79
1977	2.84	4.94	3.85
1976	3.24	5.07	3.97
1975	3.57	5.19	4.08
1974	4.17	5.3	4.26
1973	4.73	5.41	4.42
1972	5.11	5.49	4.55
1971	5.52	5.57	4.68
1970	6.09	5.63	4.83
1969	6.18	5.72	4.87
1968	6.51	5.78	4.96
1967	5.81	5.85	4.85
1966	6.31	5.91	4.96
1965	6.61	5.89	5.07
1964	6.67	5.96	5.12
1963	7.51	6.01	5.31
1962	6.09	6.05	5.02
1961	3.86	6.08	4.57
1960	4.45	6.11	4.7
1959	4.72	6.13	4.74
1958	5.7	6.14	4.93
1957	6.43	6.14	5.07
1956	5.85	6.13	4.93
1955	6.26	6.13	5
1954	6.28	6.11	5
1953	6.04	6.09	4.92
1952	6.47	6.08	5
1951	5.7	6.06	4.82
1950	5.81	6.03	4.85

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	China	South Africa	World
2024	1.010.78–1.25	2.211.75–2.69	2.25
2025	1.020.76–1.28	2.191.68–2.71	2.24
2026	1.030.75–1.31	2.171.64–2.72	2.23
2027	1.040.75–1.34	2.151.6–2.73	2.22
2028	1.050.75–1.36	2.131.58–2.75	2.21
2029	1.050.73–1.37	2.121.54–2.76	2.2
2030	1.060.73–1.4	2.11.51–2.78	2.2
2031	1.070.71–1.43	2.091.48–2.79	2.19
2032	1.080.7–1.45	2.071.47–2.76	2.18
2033	1.080.69–1.47	2.061.45–2.74	2.17
2034	1.090.69–1.48	2.051.43–2.76	2.16
2035	1.10.69–1.49	2.041.41–2.77	2.15
2036	1.10.68–1.5	2.031.41–2.77	2.15
2037	1.110.67–1.53	2.021.35–2.76	2.14
2038	1.120.66–1.53	21.34–2.75	2.13
2039	1.130.67–1.55	1.991.31–2.76	2.13
2040	1.130.66–1.56	1.981.3–2.79	2.13
2041	1.140.66–1.58	1.981.31–2.78	2.12
2042	1.140.65–1.59	1.971.29–2.79	2.12
2043	1.150.65–1.6	1.961.29–2.77	2.12
2044	1.150.65–1.62	1.951.29–2.77	2.12
2045	1.160.65–1.63	1.941.28–2.73	2.12
2046	1.160.65–1.63	1.931.27–2.72	2.11
2047	1.170.65–1.65	1.921.27–2.76	2.11
2048	1.170.64–1.67	1.911.26–2.74	2.11
2049	1.180.64–1.67	1.91.26–2.74	2.1
2050	1.180.64–1.69	1.891.23–2.72	2.1
2051	1.190.63–1.7	1.891.22–2.71	2.09
2052	1.190.63–1.71	1.881.22–2.7	2.09
2053	1.20.63–1.71	1.881.22–2.68	2.08
2054	1.20.63–1.72	1.871.21–2.69	2.07
2055	1.210.63–1.74	1.871.2–2.66	2.07
2056	1.210.63–1.74	1.861.2–2.62	2.06
2057	1.220.65–1.78	1.851.21–2.61	2.05
2058	1.220.64–1.77	1.851.19–2.6	2.04
2059	1.230.64–1.76	1.841.17–2.62	2.04
2060	1.230.64–1.77	1.841.15–2.62	2.03
2061	1.230.63–1.77	1.831.17–2.61	2.02
2062	1.240.62–1.78	1.831.15–2.6	2.02
2063	1.240.62–1.8	1.821.17–2.58	2.01
2064	1.250.64–1.81	1.821.16–2.6	2
2065	1.250.62–1.82	1.821.16–2.6	2
2066	1.250.62–1.82	1.811.14–2.57	1.99
2067	1.260.63–1.83	1.811.14–2.56	1.98
2068	1.260.64–1.85	1.81.13–2.54	1.98
2069	1.270.63–1.84	1.81.12–2.53	1.97
2070	1.270.64–1.86	1.81.14–2.54	1.97
2071	1.270.64–1.88	1.791.16–2.56	1.96
2072	1.270.64–1.86	1.791.15–2.56	1.96
2073	1.280.61–1.87	1.791.14–2.53	1.95
2074	1.280.63–1.87	1.781.16–2.54	1.95
2075	1.280.63–1.89	1.781.15–2.54	1.94
2076	1.290.62–1.89	1.781.13–2.52	1.94
2077	1.290.62–1.89	1.781.13–2.55	1.94
2078	1.290.62–1.9	1.771.12–2.52	1.93
2079	1.290.61–1.9	1.771.11–2.52	1.93
2080	1.30.61–1.9	1.771.11–2.51	1.92
2081	1.30.62–1.9	1.771.09–2.52	1.92
2082	1.30.62–1.92	1.761.11–2.51	1.91
2083	1.30.63–1.94	1.761.08–2.54	1.91
2084	1.310.62–1.94	1.761.09–2.54	1.91
2085	1.310.62–1.94	1.761.09–2.5	1.9
2086	1.310.62–1.95	1.761.09–2.52	1.9
2087	1.310.61–1.95	1.761.09–2.52	1.89
2088	1.320.61–1.96	1.761.09–2.5	1.89
2089	1.320.61–1.97	1.751.06–2.52	1.88
2090	1.320.61–1.96	1.751.06–2.53	1.88
2091	1.330.61–1.97	1.751.04–2.53	1.88
2092	1.330.62–1.97	1.751.05–2.52	1.87
2093	1.330.62–1.97	1.751.06–2.55	1.87
2094	1.330.62–1.97	1.751.06–2.54	1.86
2095	1.330.61–1.96	1.751.04–2.52	1.86
2096	1.330.62–1.96	1.741.04–2.53	1.85
2097	1.340.62–1.97	1.751.02–2.51	1.85
2098	1.340.62–1.98	1.741.01–2.52	1.85
2099	1.350.6–2	1.741.01–2.53	1.84
2100	1.350.6–1.99	1.741–2.54	1.84

Each country on its own

Good to know

The children a woman would have over her life at the year’s birth rates for each age.
Source: UN DESA, World Population Prospects 2024.
The dashed line is the UN projection (medium variant), a scenario rather than a forecast; the band is its 95% prediction interval.
Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2023, highest first.
The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time