How it works
- Press play to animate the countries with the highest fertility rates from 1960 to 2024. Bars resort every year with smooth animation.
- Drag the year slider to freeze any moment, or change how many countries are shown.
- Switch Order to “Lowest first” to rank countries from the bottom up.
- The full data table ships with the page, so the ranking works even offline.
Good to know
- The fertility rate is the average number of children a woman would have over her lifetime at current birth rates.
- Replacement level is about 2.1 children per woman; most wealthy countries have been below it for decades.
- Countries without a published figure for a year are left out of that year.
Standards and sources
Last reviewed October 12, 2026
Frequently asked questions
What does the fertility rate mean?
The average number of children a woman would have over her lifetime at current birth rates. Replacement level — the rate that keeps population stable — is about 2.1.
Why do African countries lead?
Sub-Saharan Africa has the world's highest birth rates, above 4 almost everywhere and above 5 in Chad, Somalia and DR Congo, while wealthy countries sit far below replacement.
Does it work offline?
Yes. The full table ships with the page, so the chart and the year slider work without a network.