Fertility rates now sit well below the replacement level of 2.1 births per woman in many countries. The EU-27 reports an average of 1.46 births per woman. World Health Organization data show that access to high-quality family planning can reduce fertility by about 30 percent while unmet need for contraception contributes to roughly 40 percent of pregnancies ending in abortion.
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 low worldwide, driven by delayed childbearing and unmet family planning needs.
Related reading
01 · Category
Drivers & Contraception3 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.
Interpretation
Drivers & Contraception Interpretation
From a Drivers & Contraception perspective, the global share of births to women aged 15–19 edged down from about 11% in 2000 to about 10% in 2019, while WHO estimates suggest fertility could drop by around 30% with high quality family planning and that unmet need for contraception contributes to about 40% of pregnancies ending in abortion.
02 · Category
Births & Rates2 stats
01
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.
02
In 2023, Canada’s Total Fertility Rate was 1.40 births per woman (Statistics Canada), indicating below-replacement fertility.
Interpretation
Births & Rates Interpretation
Under the Births and Rates category, fertility is running well below replacement, with China around 1.3 to 1.5 births per woman in the late 2010s to early 2020s and Canada at 1.40 births per woman in 2023.
03 · Category
Global Fertility7 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.
Interpretation
Global Fertility Interpretation
Under the Global Fertility lens, fertility is consistently below replacement in many places, with 42% of the world’s population living in countries where total fertility is under 2.1 births per woman, while even the United States sits at 1.6 and Germany at 1.5 in 2023.
04 · Category
Fertility Services1 stats
01
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).
Interpretation
Fertility Services Interpretation
In 2019, ESHRE surveillance recorded 1,001,000 IVF cycles across participating European countries, underscoring the large and ongoing demand for fertility services.
05 · 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 landscape, fertility levels diverge sharply as Brazil sits at 1.72 births per woman and India at 2.0 in 2022 while Nigeria remains high at 5.3 and Egypt is still elevated at 3.3, with OECD evidence that higher female employment around 60.7% on average in 2022 tends to shift childbearing to later years.
More related reading
06 · 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 OECD and EU countries, sustained low fertility is closely tracked alongside policy and support levels, with EU-27 total fertility rate at about 1.46 births per woman in 2023 while median age rose to 44.1 years, and countries that spend more on family benefits, like France at around 3.3% of GDP in 2021, reflect the policy effort behind fertility-support outcomes.
07 · Category
Ivf & Assisted Reproduction2 stats
01
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.
02
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.
Interpretation
Ivf & Assisted Reproduction Interpretation
In the Ivf and Assisted Reproduction category, frozen embryo use keeps rising with 28% of transfers relying on cryopreserved embryos in Europe for the 2021 to 2022 cycles, while global experience shows that 17% of women and men aged 20 to 44 report trying to conceive for at least 12 months without success.
08 · 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
In the Market & Economics landscape, strong monetization signals continue as the global assisted reproductive technology market reaches $25.8 billion in 2023 while adjacent segments also expand quickly, including fertility preservation projected to hit $9.2 billion by 2032 and fertility tracking apps to grow to $3.6 billion by 2030.
09 · Category
Contraception & Demand1 stats
01
44% of pregnancies worldwide are estimated to be unintended, as summarized in the Guttmacher Institute’s analysis of global unintended pregnancy patterns.
Interpretation
Contraception & Demand Interpretation
In the contraception and demand context, the fact that 44% of pregnancies worldwide are estimated to be unintended underscores a major gap between contraceptive needs and real-world use or access.
10 · 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 Health Systems and Policy, the gap between coverage and investment stands out as only 0.6% of health budgets in LMICs went to family planning in 2021 to 2022 while 1.4 million women still needed abortion care for unsafe complications in 2022, even though antenatal care reached 91% and 67% of births had skilled attendants.
Reference
Cite This Report
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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
37 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+13 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)