science

List of countries by total fertility rate

List of countries by total fertility rate is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand List of countries by total fertility rate rather than just read about it. In short: Total fertility rate (TFR) is the expected number of children born per woman. Developing countries in Africa and the Middle East typically have the highest TFR, while developed economies, particularly those in Asia, are among the lowest.

Key takeaways

List of countries by total fertility rate belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect List of countries by total fertility rate to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of List of countries by total fertility rate from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Total fertility rate (TFR) is the expected number of children born per woman. Developing countries in Africa and the Middle East typically have the highest TFR, while developed economies, particularly those in Asia, are among the lowest. The TFR at which population is stable or growing, known as the replacement rate, is 2.2; below this is sub-replacement fertility. As of 2026, global TFR is 2.23, with the highest in Chad (5.84), Somalia (5.81), and DR Congo (5.80), and the lowest in Macau (0.70), Hong Kong (0.75), and South Korea (0.76).

Methodology The first lists show the most recent year where there is published total fertility rate (TFR) data ranked by sovereign states and dependencies, and are ordered by organization type – intergovernmental, governmental, or non-governmental organization that searched, organized, and published the data. The United Nations ranking list is based on estimates from the World Population Prospects, published by the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). The World Population Prospects provides the official United Nations demographic estimates and projections, including Total Fertility Rate (TFR), for all countries and territories of the world. These estimates are widely used as a standard reference by international organizations, governments, and researchers, and are derived from analysis of national data sources such as censuses, surveys, and vital registration systems. The World Bank ranking list is based on the data for the year 2020 published online. The World Bank is a United Nations international financial institution, a component of the World Bank Group, and a member of the United Nations Development Group, but it also collects and analyses information on demography issues based on international and national sources: (1) United Nations Population Division: World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistics Division: Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau International Database. Note: Sometimes the World Bank changes its figures of fertility rates for a certain year due to more accurate and updated information from sources. Because of that, sometimes it is necessary to update World Bank figures for fertility rates more than once for the same year. Governmental organizations ranking lists The CIA ranking list is sourced from the CIA World Factbook for the most recent year unless otherwise specified. Sovereign states and countries are ranked. Some countries might not be listed because they are not fully recognized as countries at the time of this census. The INED - Institut National d'Études Démographiques is based on the online publication Population & Sociétés - Tous les pays du monde (2019), number 569, September 2019. Non-governmental organizations ranking lists The Population Reference Bureau (PRB) ranking list is based on the data of the 2024 World Population Data Sheet published online. The PRB is a private, nonprofit organization which informs people around the world about population, health and the environment for research or academic purposes. It was founded in 1929. World Population Data Sheets are double-sided wallcharts (now published online) that present detailed information on demographic, health and environment indicators for more than 200 countries. The Our World in Data (OWID) "Total fertility rate: births per woman, 2023" list is sourced and based on the OWID website which includes tables and maps. Notes: 1- Changes in figures of fertility rates by country from one year to another do not always reflect an actual increase or decrease of fertility rates in a certain country, but instead reflect a change made due to more accurate and updated information from sources. 2- Figures of fertility rates by country and their ranking are based on single referenced sources, from organizations that investigate demographic issues. In several instances, they do not correspond with other sources, such as other organizations and sources that are referenced in the individual demographics by country, which can be accessed by clicking on the names of the countries. These differences can be due to several factors, including primary sources, data quality, and methodology. Replacement rates

Replacement fertility is the total fertility rate at which women give birth to enough babies to sustain population levels, assuming that mortality rates remain constant and net migration is zero. If replacement level fertility is sustained over a sufficiently long period, each generation will exactly replace itself. The replacement fertility rate is 2.1 births per female for most developed countries (in the United Kingdom, for example), but can be as high as 3.5 in undeveloped countries because of higher mortality rates, especially child mortality. The global average for the replacement total fertility rate, eventually leading to a stable global population, for the contemporary period, 2010–2015, is 2.3 children per female.

Country ranking by most recent year

Country ranking by international organizations

Country ranking by governmental organizations

Country ranking by non-governmental organizations

Note: (-) Data unavailable, inapplicable, not collected, or country or dependent territory not included. Sovereign states and dependent territories listed by alphabetical order, not ranked.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with List of countries by total fertility rate

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what List of countries by total fertility rate claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to List of countries by total fertility rate before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about List of countries by total fertility rate ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of List of countries by total fertility rate

In research: List of countries by total fertility rate appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses List of countries by total fertility rate in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: List of countries by total fertility rate is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Demographic economics, Fertility, Human geography, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for List of countries by total fertility rate outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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Frequently asked questions

What is List of countries by total fertility rate in simple terms?

Why does List of countries by total fertility rate matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study List of countries by total fertility rate?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on List of countries by total fertility rate.