One key measure of a country’s growth is the fertility rate, which is related to the birth rate, which shows the number of babies born per 1,000 people each year.
They help understand a country's replacement rate, indicating if births are replacing deaths. Since population changes significantly impact development and economic stability.
The world is having fewer children. In 2019, women on average had 2.4 children, which is half the number compared to 1950 (4.7). This change is happening more in wealthier countries like Australia and Europe than in poorer countries.
There are three main reasons for this:
- Women are focusing on education and careers: More women are getting educated and pursuing careers, sometimes delaying or choosing not to have children.
- Fewer children die young: Since fewer children die young, families don't need to have as many children to ensure some survive.
- More birth control options: People have easier access to birth control, allowing them to plan their families.
According to the World Population Review, these are the countries with the lowest fertility rates
1. Taiwan
The population rate in Taiwan is growing at a rate of 0.09% per year. That means it’s below 1%.
2. South Korea
The population growth rate in South Korea is 1.1%. Japanese government data shows the number of babies fell to a record low last year, with South Korea's reluctance to have children attributed to high housing costs, education competition, and gender tensions. In 2022, marriages fell 42% from the previous decade, with South Korea having the smallest share of parents taking leave for children.
3. Singapore
The financial burden of raising a child, the pressure to be a good parent, and the challenges of managing work and family responsibilities are significant factors leading to a birth rate of 1.17% in Singapore.
4. Ukraine
Ukraine's birthrate has fallen by 28% since the start of the war, with many young men going off to war, Ukraine has a fertility rate of 1.22%.
5. Hong Kong
Hong Kong's fertility rate is currently at 1.23% due to a combination of factors, including a lack of childcare options, societal uncertainty, gender inequality, and low immigration rates.
6. Macau
Macau has a low fertility rate of 1.23% because it has an elderly population that does not reproduce. Life expectancy in Macau is 84 years old.
7. Italy
The European city of Italy has a population rate of 1.24%, which means people are more focused on their careers and need more time to be ready for the financial constraints of childbearing.
8. Moldova
The data shows that Moldova’s birth rate is at 1.25% due to high mortality, low birth rates, and catastrophically high levels of permanent emigration.
9. Puerto Rico
The fertility rate in Puerto Rico is 1.25%. The population decrease is primarily due to natural factors such as more deaths than births and negative net migration in all municipalities.
10.Spain
The fertility rate is 1.29%. Demographers attribute Spain's low fertility rate to the country's absence of a family support policy. Without government support, people are reluctant to have children.
According to the World Population Review, these are the countries with the highest fertility rates
Most countries with high birth rates are in Africa. Niger has the highest rate (6.73%), followed by Somalia (5.76%), DR Congo (5.56%), Mali (5.45), Benin (5.39%), Chad (5.35%), Uganda (5.26%), Somalia (5.22%), South Sudan (5.20%), and Burundi (4.96%).
A UN paper explains Africa's high fertility rates as a result of low contraception use, early marriage, early childbearing, and high social values. Although some African countries are experiencing declining fertility rates, Nigeria's fertility rate decreased from 6.35 in 1960 to 5.3 in 2019.