Rwanda vs South Africa: Fertility rate

Fertility rate in 2023: 3.7 births per woman in Rwanda and 2.22 births per woman in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Rwanda, by 1.48 births per woman, or 1.67 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

births per woman · UN

RwandaSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

Rwanda has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
In 2023, Rwanda ranked 38 and South Africa ranked 96 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Rwanda at 1.89 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	Rwanda	South Africa	World
2023	3.7	2.22	2.25
2022	3.78	2.23	2.27
2021	3.84	2.25	2.29
2020	3.91	2.26	2.32
2019	3.99	2.26	2.4
2018	4.05	2.27	2.44
2017	4.08	2.28	2.5
2016	4.11	2.26	2.54
2015	4.11	2.36	2.54
2014	4.12	2.42	2.56
2013	4.14	2.43	2.57
2012	4.2	2.45	2.61
2011	4.33	2.44	2.59
2010	4.52	2.45	2.6
2009	4.71	2.5	2.62
2008	4.92	2.68	2.63
2007	5.14	2.55	2.62
2006	5.34	2.55	2.63
2005	5.5	2.51	2.63
2004	5.64	2.44	2.65
2003	5.74	2.36	2.66
2002	5.82	2.32	2.68
2001	5.89	2.37	2.71
2000	5.97	2.41	2.75
1999	6.06	2.56	2.75
1998	6.17	2.63	2.78
1997	6.24	2.73	2.81
1996	6.29	2.99	2.85
1995	6.35	3.17	2.89
1994	6.42	3.26	2.93
1993	6.48	3.37	2.98
1992	6.54	3.48	3.04
1991	6.62	3.62	3.13
1990	6.8	3.72	3.31
1989	7.03	3.98	3.35
1988	7.23	4.18	3.39
1987	7.43	4.35	3.48
1986	7.61	4.41	3.5
1985	7.79	4.5	3.51
1984	7.91	4.57	3.55
1983	8	4.63	3.58
1982	8.06	4.7	3.71
1981	8.1	4.71	3.71
1980	8.12	4.78	3.74
1979	8.13	4.82	3.77
1978	8.16	4.85	3.79
1977	8.14	4.94	3.85
1976	8.12	5.07	3.97
1975	8.1	5.19	4.08
1974	8.1	5.3	4.26
1973	8.09	5.41	4.42
1972	8.09	5.49	4.55
1971	8.09	5.57	4.68
1970	8.15	5.63	4.83
1969	8.18	5.72	4.87
1968	8.19	5.78	4.96
1967	8.21	5.85	4.85
1966	8.23	5.91	4.96
1965	8.25	5.89	5.07
1964	8.27	5.96	5.12
1963	8.27	6.01	5.31
1962	8.27	6.05	5.02
1961	8.28	6.08	4.57
1960	8.28	6.11	4.7
1959	8.29	6.13	4.74
1958	8.27	6.14	4.93
1957	8.26	6.14	5.07
1956	8.23	6.13	4.93
1955	8.21	6.13	5
1954	8.22	6.11	5
1953	8.2	6.09	4.92
1952	8.18	6.08	5
1951	8.16	6.06	4.82
1950	8.15	6.03	4.85

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Rwanda	South Africa	World
2024	3.653.04–4.3	2.211.75–2.69	2.25
2025	3.592.92–4.3	2.191.68–2.71	2.24
2026	3.542.8–4.32	2.171.64–2.72	2.23
2027	3.492.73–4.29	2.151.6–2.73	2.22
2028	3.432.65–4.28	2.131.58–2.75	2.21
2029	3.382.58–4.23	2.121.54–2.76	2.2
2030	3.332.45–4.21	2.11.51–2.78	2.2
2031	3.282.35–4.24	2.091.48–2.79	2.19
2032	3.242.31–4.21	2.071.47–2.76	2.18
2033	3.192.24–4.18	2.061.45–2.74	2.17
2034	3.152.17–4.16	2.051.43–2.76	2.16
2035	3.112.13–4.14	2.041.41–2.77	2.15
2036	3.072.07–4.11	2.031.41–2.77	2.15
2037	3.032.02–4.11	2.021.35–2.76	2.14
2038	2.991.96–4.09	21.34–2.75	2.13
2039	2.951.9–4.03	1.991.31–2.76	2.13
2040	2.921.87–3.98	1.981.3–2.79	2.13
2041	2.891.85–3.95	1.981.31–2.78	2.12
2042	2.851.81–3.94	1.971.29–2.79	2.12
2043	2.811.78–3.89	1.961.29–2.77	2.12
2044	2.781.79–3.89	1.951.29–2.77	2.12
2045	2.751.73–3.88	1.941.28–2.73	2.12
2046	2.721.71–3.88	1.931.27–2.72	2.11
2047	2.691.7–3.9	1.921.27–2.76	2.11
2048	2.671.67–3.86	1.911.26–2.74	2.11
2049	2.641.64–3.83	1.91.26–2.74	2.1
2050	2.611.61–3.82	1.891.23–2.72	2.1
2051	2.581.57–3.8	1.891.22–2.71	2.09
2052	2.551.54–3.77	1.881.22–2.7	2.09
2053	2.521.51–3.78	1.881.22–2.68	2.08
2054	2.51.49–3.76	1.871.21–2.69	2.07
2055	2.471.48–3.7	1.871.2–2.66	2.07
2056	2.451.45–3.72	1.861.2–2.62	2.06
2057	2.431.44–3.7	1.851.21–2.61	2.05
2058	2.411.43–3.67	1.851.19–2.6	2.04
2059	2.391.4–3.65	1.841.17–2.62	2.04
2060	2.371.41–3.63	1.841.15–2.62	2.03
2061	2.351.37–3.63	1.831.17–2.61	2.02
2062	2.331.37–3.61	1.831.15–2.6	2.02
2063	2.311.36–3.62	1.821.17–2.58	2.01
2064	2.291.35–3.58	1.821.16–2.6	2
2065	2.271.33–3.59	1.821.16–2.6	2
2066	2.261.34–3.58	1.811.14–2.57	1.99
2067	2.241.33–3.57	1.811.14–2.56	1.98
2068	2.231.32–3.51	1.81.13–2.54	1.98
2069	2.211.3–3.48	1.81.12–2.53	1.97
2070	2.21.31–3.45	1.81.14–2.54	1.97
2071	2.181.3–3.41	1.791.16–2.56	1.96
2072	2.161.29–3.36	1.791.15–2.56	1.96
2073	2.151.28–3.33	1.791.14–2.53	1.95
2074	2.131.25–3.34	1.781.16–2.54	1.95
2075	2.121.24–3.37	1.781.15–2.54	1.94
2076	2.111.22–3.35	1.781.13–2.52	1.94
2077	2.11.22–3.31	1.781.13–2.55	1.94
2078	2.081.21–3.31	1.771.12–2.52	1.93
2079	2.071.21–3.27	1.771.11–2.52	1.93
2080	2.061.19–3.25	1.771.11–2.51	1.92
2081	2.051.19–3.28	1.771.09–2.52	1.92
2082	2.041.19–3.25	1.761.11–2.51	1.91
2083	2.031.19–3.24	1.761.08–2.54	1.91
2084	2.021.17–3.21	1.761.09–2.54	1.91
2085	2.011.17–3.18	1.761.09–2.5	1.9
2086	1.991.17–3.16	1.761.09–2.52	1.9
2087	1.991.14–3.16	1.761.09–2.52	1.89
2088	1.981.15–3.15	1.761.09–2.5	1.89
2089	1.971.14–3.16	1.751.06–2.52	1.88
2090	1.961.14–3.12	1.751.06–2.53	1.88
2091	1.951.15–3.14	1.751.04–2.53	1.88
2092	1.951.14–3.09	1.751.05–2.52	1.87
2093	1.941.14–3.11	1.751.06–2.55	1.87
2094	1.931.11–3.08	1.751.06–2.54	1.86
2095	1.921.11–3.12	1.751.04–2.52	1.86
2096	1.911.12–3.06	1.741.04–2.53	1.85
2097	1.911.12–3.02	1.751.02–2.51	1.85
2098	1.91.1–3.01	1.741.01–2.52	1.85
2099	1.891.09–3.02	1.741.01–2.53	1.84
2100	1.891.1–3.01	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

Rwanda vs South Africa: Fertility rate

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

Good to know

Rwanda vs South Africa

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment