According to data gathered by Our World in Data from the UN World Population Prospects, birth rates are plunging in the world’s most populous countries, especially China.
Though at varying rates, the six most populous nations in the world are seeing a decline in birth rates.
The birth rate per 1,000 people in the six most populous countries in the world is depicted in this graphic by Marcus Lu of Visual Capitalist.
The information was gathered by Our World in Data and comes from the UN World Population Prospects (2022).
The Global Decline in Fertility Rates
Most areas are seeing a decline in fertility rates. The UN estimates that in 1990, there were 3.2 births on average per woman worldwide. This dropped to 2.5 births per woman by 2019, and it is predicted to drop even lower to 2.2 births by 2050.
Notably, (without including net immigration) a fertility rate of 2.1 births per woman is required to prevent a long-term drop in the population of the country.
Out of all the countries featured here, China’s birth rate has decreased the fastest in recent years. In 2021, there were 7.6 births per 1,000 inhabitants in the nation, down from 24.4 in 1990 and 41.0 in 1950.
The aforementioned pattern implies that China may encounter comparable obstacles to those encountered by Japan, given its sizeable elderly populace and noteworthy economic and social ramifications.
In 2021, there were 11.1 births per 1,000 inhabitants in the United States, down from 22.8 in 1950 and 16.7 in 1990. It’s important to remember, though, that, in contrast to some of the other nations in the table above, the United States also experiences annual net immigration growth.
With 37.1 yearly births per 1,000 people in 2021, Nigeria had the highest birth rate on our list, down from 43.8 in 1990 and 45.6 in 1950.
Last year, GreatGameIndia reported that, according to Pew Research Center data, fertility rates in India have fallen across all religious groups. The difference between Hindu and Muslim birth rates has shrunk, with Muslim birth rates now only a quarter higher than Hindu birth rates, down from a third.
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