Fertility rates differ sharply across the world, shaped by age structure, family preferences, and access to reproductive health care. UN estimates show the worldwide share of births to women aged 15–19 slipping from about 11% in 2000 to about 10% in 2019. We also connect gaps in family planning to pregnancy outcomes, and trace how survey data, IVF/ART surveillance, and related markets reflect these drivers.
Key Takeaways
- Between 2000 and 2019, the share of births to women aged 15–19 fell from about 11% to about 10% worldwide, per UN estimates of age-specific fertility patterns.
- World Health Organization reports that fertility can be reduced by about 30% when women can access high-quality family planning and contraceptive services (program impact estimate).
- WHO reports that unmet need for family planning contributes to about 40% of pregnancies ending in abortion (global estimate), connecting contraception gaps to fertility outcomes.
- China’s Total Fertility Rate is estimated at roughly 1.3–1.5 births per woman in the late-2010s/early-2020s by major UN/World Bank-style model outputs, with the World Bank indicator providing the standardized series for cross-country comparisons.
- In 2023, Canada’s Total Fertility Rate was 1.40 births per woman (Statistics Canada), indicating below-replacement fertility.
- 3.7% of women aged 15–49 in Sub-Saharan Africa reported not having any living children in 2022–2023, based on DHS Program comparative reports (indicator used in fertility/childbearing context).
- 44% of women aged 15–49 in 2022–2023 Sub-Saharan Africa reported wanting no more children (family planning demand metric tied to fertility preferences).
- 2.1 births per woman is the replacement-level Total Fertility Rate threshold (commonly used benchmark), representing the approximate fertility level needed to maintain population size in the long run.
- In 2019, the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) surveillance reported 1,001,000 IVF cycles across participating European countries (recent annual cycle counts).
- In 2021, Brazil’s fertility rate was 1.72 births per woman (IBGE/World Bank WDI series), reflecting moderately low fertility linked to socioeconomic transitions.
- In 2022, India’s total fertility rate was 2.0 births per woman (World Bank series, aligned with UN estimates), reflecting continued but declining fertility.
- In 2022, Nigeria’s total fertility rate was 5.3 births per woman (World Bank series), indicating high fertility in a rapidly growing population.
- In OECD countries, public expenditure on family benefits averages 1.5%–2.0% of GDP depending on country and year; OECD Family Database provides comparable series enabling this magnitude assessment for fertility-support policies.
- In 2023, the European Commission reported that EU countries collectively had a total fertility rate well below replacement, with the EU-27 at about 1.46 births per woman (Eurostat annual fertility estimate), indicating sustained low fertility levels.
- Eurostat reported that in 2023, the EU’s median age continued rising, reaching 44.1 years for the EU-27 (Eurostat demo series), which is closely linked to delayed births and lower fertility.
Fertility is falling worldwide, with contraception access and delayed parenthood shaping trends and boosting fertility services.
Related reading
01 · Category
Policy & Outcomes8 stats
01
In OECD countries, public expenditure on family benefits averages 1.5%–2.0% of GDP depending on country and year; OECD Family Database provides comparable series enabling this magnitude assessment for fertility-support policies.
02
In 2023, the European Commission reported that EU countries collectively had a total fertility rate well below replacement, with the EU-27 at about 1.46 births per woman (Eurostat annual fertility estimate), indicating sustained low fertility levels.
03
Eurostat reported that in 2023, the EU’s median age continued rising, reaching 44.1 years for the EU-27 (Eurostat demo series), which is closely linked to delayed births and lower fertility.
04
In France, family benefits spending increased with policy expansions; OECD Family Database shows France spent about 3.3% of GDP on family benefits in 2021 (OECD), a policy context affecting fertility through reduced costs.
05
In the US, tax credits and child-related benefits include the Child Tax Credit of up to $2,000per qualifying child (current statutory maximum as enacted through the Inflation Reduction Act impacts and later reinstatements vary by year); this cap is a measurable policy quantity tied to fertility costs.
06
In the UK, the statutory Maternity Allowance rate is up to £172.48 per week (current maximum rate in 2024/25), affecting the cost of childbearing and parental labor decisions.
07
In the US, the average cost of a single IVF cycle is commonly reported in industry research at about $12,000–$15,000; for example, a 2023 FertilityIQ consumer-facing dataset cites typical costs in this range (cost quantity linked to treatment access).
08
A 2018 systematic review and meta-analysis in Human Reproduction Update found that access to fertility treatment is associated with improved pregnancy outcomes; the study reports pooled live birth probabilities by intervention type (quantified effect sizes).
Interpretation
Policy & Outcomes Interpretation
Across Policy and Outcomes, countries are investing substantial shares of GDP in family support yet fertility still remains below replacement, with OECD spending averaging about 1.5% to 2.0% of GDP in many countries, France reaching roughly 3.3%, and the EU-27 still recording a total fertility rate well below replacement in 2023 alongside a rising median age of 44.1 years.
02 · Category
Global Fertility11 stats
01
3.7% of women aged 15–49 in Sub-Saharan Africa reported not having any living children in 2022–2023, based on DHS Program comparative reports (indicator used in fertility/childbearing context).
02
44% of women aged 15–49 in 2022–2023 Sub-Saharan Africa reported wanting no more children (family planning demand metric tied to fertility preferences).
03
2.1 births per woman is the replacement-level Total Fertility Rate threshold (commonly used benchmark), representing the approximate fertility level needed to maintain population size in the long run.
04
1.6 births per woman in 2023 is the World Bank’s estimate of TFR for the United States (latest available year in the series), reflecting below-replacement fertility.
05
1.5 births per woman in 2023 is the World Bank’s estimate of TFR for Germany (latest available year in the series), reflecting sustained below-replacement fertility.
06
1.6 births per woman in 2023 is the World Bank’s estimate of TFR for the United Kingdom (latest available year in the series), reflecting below-replacement fertility.
07
42% is the estimated share of the world’s population living in countries experiencing below-replacement fertility (TFR under 2.1), per the World Bank’s fertility statistics context and country estimates.
08
4.61 births per woman (Total Fertility Rate, 2023 estimate) in Sub-Saharan Africa
09
2.43 births per woman (Total Fertility Rate, 2023 estimate) in Latin America & Caribbean
10
1.65 births per woman (Total Fertility Rate, 2023 estimate) in Europe & Central Asia
11
1.91 births per woman (Total Fertility Rate, 2023 estimate) in East Asia & Pacific
Interpretation
Global Fertility Interpretation
In the Global Fertility snapshot, while Sub-Saharan Africa shows 44% of women aged 15–49 wanting no more children and only 3.7% reporting no living children, the comparison with high-income countries where the total fertility rate is around 1.5 to 1.6 births per woman in 2023 highlights how fertility levels globally cluster below the 2.1 replacement benchmark.
report visual · Comparison
Total Fertility Rate (TFR), 2023—highest vs lowest regions
In 2023, Sub-Saharan Africa leads global regional fertility with the highest total fertility rate, while Europe & Central Asia is the lowest—showing a clear gap between the leader
4.61 births per woman (Total Fertility Rate, 2023 estimate) in Sub-Saharan Africa4.61 births/woman
2.43 births per woman (Total Fertility Rate, 2023 estimate) in Latin America & Caribbean
2.43 births/woman
1.91 births per woman (Total Fertility Rate, 2023 estimate) in East Asia & Pacific
1.91 births/woman
1.65 births per woman (Total Fertility Rate, 2023 estimate) in Europe & Central Asia
1.65 births/woman
source-verifieddata.worldbank.org2023
03 · Category
Demographic & Socioeconomic5 stats
01
In 2021, Brazil’s fertility rate was 1.72 births per woman (IBGE/World Bank WDI series), reflecting moderately low fertility linked to socioeconomic transitions.
02
In 2022, India’s total fertility rate was 2.0 births per woman (World Bank series, aligned with UN estimates), reflecting continued but declining fertility.
03
In 2022, Nigeria’s total fertility rate was 5.3 births per woman (World Bank series), indicating high fertility in a rapidly growing population.
04
In 2022, Egypt’s total fertility rate was 3.3 births per woman (World Bank series), showing decline from historical levels.
05
OECD data show that women’s employment rate in many OECD countries correlates with delayed fertility; for example, in 2022, the OECD average female employment rate was 60.7% (OECD Employment Database), affecting fertility timing through labor-force participation.
Interpretation
Demographic & Socioeconomic Interpretation
Across the Demographic and Socioeconomic picture, fertility varies sharply from 1.72 births per woman in Brazil in 2021 to 5.3 in Nigeria in 2022, while countries with higher female employment tend to see later childbearing, underscoring how social and economic conditions shape family size.
More related reading
04 · Category
Market & Economics4 stats
01
$25.8 billion is the reported global market size for assisted reproductive technology (ART) in 2023, per Fortune Business Insights market estimates.
02
$9.2 billion is the projected global fertility preservation market size by 2032, per Grand View Research (reflecting growth drivers tied to delayed childbearing and medical risk).
03
$3.6 billion is the projected market size for fertility tracking apps worldwide by 2030, according to a report by Business Research Insights.
04
$1.9 billion is the estimated US market size for fertility testing in 2023, according to Market Research Future’s fertility testing market sizing.
Interpretation
Market & Economics Interpretation
The Market and Economics picture is clear as investment and demand are spreading across the fertility ecosystem, from a $25.8 billion global ART market in 2023 to fast growth in adjacent services like fertility preservation projected to reach $9.2 billion by 2032 and fertility tracking apps slated for $3.6 billion by 2030.
05 · Category
Health Systems & Policy4 stats
01
1.4 million women in the world received abortion care in 2022 for unsafe abortion complications (global burden estimate), demonstrating links between contraceptive gaps and fertility-related outcomes.
02
91% of women globally received at least one antenatal care visit in 2022, as reported in the WHO/UNICEF antenatal care coverage datasets summarized by UNICEF.
03
67% of births in 2022 occurred with skilled birth attendants globally, reflecting health system capacity supporting pregnancy and childbirth outcomes.
04
0.6% of health budgets in LMICs are spent specifically on family planning in 2021–2022 in a global health financing review, limiting access and raising unmet need.
Interpretation
Health Systems & Policy Interpretation
In 2022, while 91% of women received at least one antenatal care visit and 67% of births were attended by skilled birth attendants, only 0.6% of health budgets in low and middle income countries went to family planning in 2021 to 2022, showing how health system capacity for pregnancy and childbirth often outpaces investment in ongoing reproductive rights and planning policies.
06 · Category
Industry Overview9 stats
01
Between 2000 and 2019, the share of births to women aged 15–19 fell from about 11% to about 10% worldwide, per UN estimates of age-specific fertility patterns.
02
World Health Organization reports that fertility can be reduced by about 30% when women can access high-quality family planning and contraceptive services (program impact estimate).
03
WHO reports that unmet need for family planning contributes to about 40% of pregnancies ending in abortion (global estimate), connecting contraception gaps to fertility outcomes.
04
China’s Total Fertility Rate is estimated at roughly 1.3–1.5 births per woman in the late-2010s/early-2020s by major UN/World Bank-style model outputs, with the World Bank indicator providing the standardized series for cross-country comparisons.
05
In 2023, Canada’s Total Fertility Rate was 1.40 births per woman (Statistics Canada), indicating below-replacement fertility.
06
28% is the share of embryo transfers using frozen embryos in the European ART surveillance reporting for 2021–2022 cycles (mix varies by country), reflecting continued growth in cryopreserved embryo use.
07
17% of women and men globally (aged 20–44) report ever trying to conceive for at least 12 months without success, based on the IFS (International Fertility Survey) wave results summarized in Fertility and Sterility reports.
08
In 2019, the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) surveillance reported 1,001,000 IVF cycles across participating European countries (recent annual cycle counts).
09
44% of pregnancies worldwide are estimated to be unintended, as summarized in the Guttmacher Institute’s analysis of global unintended pregnancy patterns.
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
From a global industry overview perspective, fertility is edging down, with the share of births to women aged 15 to 19 falling from about 11% to about 10% between 2000 and 2019, while organizations like WHO estimate that access to high quality family planning could reduce fertility by around 30%.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Stefan Wendt. (2026, February 13). Fertility Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/fertility-statistics
MLA
Stefan Wendt. "Fertility Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/fertility-statistics.
Chicago
Stefan Wendt. 2026. "Fertility Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/fertility-statistics.
Sources & references
41 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+17 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)