Fertility Rate by Country in 2026

2026 medium projection

Compare projected total fertility rates from highest to lowest without confusing a period rate with an observed family size or an immediate population-growth rate.

Countries and areas: 237
Highest-ranked: Chad5.84
Rank 10: Mozambique4.54
End of table: Macao0.70

Estimate or projection?

The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.

Complete fertility rate by country in 2026 ranking

Select any country to inspect its full age-by-sex structure and projections.

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Fertility Rate by Country in 2026
Rank	Country or area	Region	Births per woman	Growth / median age
1	Chad	Africa	5.84	+2.6% / 15.7 years
2	Democratic Republic of the Congo	Africa	5.80	+3.1% / 15.9 years
2	Somalia	Africa	5.80	+3.2% / 15.6 years
4	Central African Republic	Africa	5.69	+3.3% / 14.6 years
5	Niger	Africa	5.64	+3.1% / 15.7 years
6	Mali	Africa	5.33	+2.9% / 15.9 years
7	Angola	Africa	4.89	+3.0% / 16.7 years
8	Burundi	Africa	4.57	+2.3% / 16.6 years
9	Afghanistan	Asia	4.56	+2.7% / 17.4 years
10	Mozambique	Africa	4.54	+2.8% / 16.6 years
11	Mauritania	Africa	4.48	+2.7% / 17.5 years
12	Mayotte	Africa	4.43	+3.0% / 17.3 years
13	Tanzania	Africa	4.41	+2.8% / 17.6 years
14	Benin	Africa	4.34	+2.4% / 18.2 years
15	Yemen	Asia	4.33	+2.8% / 18.5 years
16	Nigeria	Africa	4.20	+2.0% / 18.3 years
17	Sudan	Africa	4.13	+3.0% / 18.8 years
18	Cameroon	Africa	4.12	+2.5% / 18.2 years
19	Ivory Coast	Africa	4.10	+2.3% / 18.5 years
20	Togo	Africa	4.01	+2.1% / 19.2 years
21	Republic of the Congo	Africa	3.99	+2.3% / 18.7 years
22	Uganda	Africa	3.97	+2.6% / 17.1 years
23	Guinea	Africa	3.96	+2.2% / 18.5 years
24	Equatorial Guinea	Africa	3.95	+2.3% / 20.9 years
25	Burkina Faso	Africa	3.91	+2.1% / 18.0 years
25	Zambia	Africa	3.91	+2.7% / 18.2 years
27	Madagascar	Africa	3.78	+2.3% / 19.4 years
28	Ethiopia	Africa	3.72	+2.5% / 19.3 years
29	Comoros	Africa	3.71	+1.8% / 20.7 years
29	Liberia	Africa	3.71	+2.2% / 19.0 years
31	Gambia	Africa	3.70	+2.1% / 18.8 years
31	Samoa	Oceania	3.70	+0.6% / 19.8 years
33	Senegal	Africa	3.66	+2.3% / 19.8 years
34	South Sudan	Africa	3.63	+2.0% / 19.0 years
35	Guinea-Bissau	Africa	3.62	+2.1% / 19.6 years
36	Zimbabwe	Africa	3.57	+1.9% / 18.3 years
37	Eritrea	Africa	3.55	+2.1% / 19.5 years
38	Rwanda	Africa	3.54	+2.1% / 20.2 years
39	Sierra Leone	Africa	3.53	+2.0% / 19.9 years
40	Vanuatu	Oceania	3.50	+2.2% / 20.3 years
41	Gabon	Africa	3.49	+2.0% / 21.6 years
42	Sao Tome and Principe	Africa	3.47	+1.9% / 19.7 years
43	Malawi	Africa	3.45	+2.5% / 18.4 years
44	Pakistan	Asia	3.44	+1.6% / 20.8 years
45	Solomon Islands	Oceania	3.42	+2.3% / 20.9 years
46	Uzbekistan	Asia	3.40	+1.8% / 27.0 years
47	Ghana	Africa	3.26	+1.8% / 21.6 years
48	French Guiana	Latin America and the Caribbean	3.25	+1.6% / 24.9 years
49	Nauru	Oceania	3.20	+0.6% / 20.2 years
50	Iraq	Asia	3.13	+2.0% / 21.1 years
50	Namibia	Africa	3.13	+1.9% / 21.5 years
50	State of Palestine	Asia	3.13	+1.9% / 20.3 years
53	Tuvalu	Oceania	3.10	-1.2% / 24.1 years
54	Kenya	Africa	3.07	+1.9% / 20.3 years
55	Kiribati	Oceania	3.06	+1.4% / 23.0 years
56	Tonga	Oceania	3.04	-0.4% / 21.0 years
57	Papua New Guinea	Oceania	2.99	+1.7% / 23.0 years
58	Tajikistan	Asia	2.96	+1.7% / 22.4 years
59	Kazakhstan	Asia	2.92	+1.1% / 29.7 years
60	Marshall Islands	Oceania	2.77	-3.3% / 20.5 years
61	Israel	Asia	2.73	+1.4% / 29.3 years
62	Kyrgyzstan	Asia	2.72	+1.4% / 25.5 years
63	Egypt	Africa	2.68	+1.4% / 24.7 years
63	Guam	Oceania	2.68	+0.7% / 31.6 years
65	Micronesia	Oceania	2.67	+0.4% / 23.5 years
66	Eswatini	Africa	2.64	+1.1% / 22.7 years
67	Botswana	Africa	2.63	+1.6% / 23.7 years
68	Algeria	Africa	2.62	+1.2% / 28.8 years
68	Syria	Asia	2.62	+3.0% / 23.8 years
70	Lesotho	Africa	2.61	+1.1% / 22.1 years
71	Turkmenistan	Asia	2.60	+1.5% / 27.3 years
72	Saint Martin (French part)	Latin America and the Caribbean	2.59	-4.2% / 43.9 years
73	Haiti	Latin America and the Caribbean	2.55	+1.1% / 24.3 years
74	Djibouti	Africa	2.54	+1.3% / 25.2 years
74	Jordan	Asia	2.54	+2.1% / 24.9 years
74	Mongolia	Asia	2.54	+1.1% / 27.0 years
74	Tokelau	Oceania	2.54	+2.6% / 27.6 years
78	Timor-Leste	Asia	2.50	+1.3% / 22.1 years
79	Cambodia	Asia	2.49	+1.1% / 26.4 years
80	Bolivia	Latin America and the Caribbean	2.47	+1.3% / 25.5 years
81	Niue	Oceania	2.44	+0.3% / 35.1 years
81	Oman	Asia	2.44	+2.8% / 29.8 years
83	Honduras	Latin America and the Caribbean	2.42	+1.6% / 24.6 years
84	Paraguay	Latin America and the Caribbean	2.37	+1.1% / 27.3 years
85	Guyana	Latin America and the Caribbean	2.35	+0.6% / 26.5 years
86	Laos	Asia	2.33	+1.3% / 25.3 years
87	Saudi Arabia	Asia	2.27	+1.7% / 29.7 years
88	Northern Mariana Islands	Oceania	2.24	-1.3% / 38.8 years
89	Fiji	Oceania	2.23	+0.4% / 28.3 years
89	Guatemala	Latin America and the Caribbean	2.23	+1.5% / 23.8 years
91	American Samoa	Oceania	2.22	-1.5% / 29.1 years
92	Libya	Africa	2.21	+1.1% / 28.0 years
93	Faroe Islands	Europe	2.19	+0.9% / 37.1 years
93	Lebanon	Asia	2.19	+0.8% / 29.0 years
93	Suriname	Latin America and the Caribbean	2.19	+0.8% / 28.9 years
96	Dominican Republic	Latin America and the Caribbean	2.17	+0.8% / 28.7 years
96	South Africa	Africa	2.17	+1.1% / 28.9 years
98	Morocco	Africa	2.16	+0.8% / 30.1 years
98	Nicaragua	Latin America and the Caribbean	2.16	+1.3% / 26.3 years
100	Western Sahara	Africa	2.13	+1.6% / 32.8 years
101	Réunion	Africa	2.12	+0.5% / 38.4 years
102	Bangladesh	Asia	2.09	+1.2% / 26.3 years
103	Indonesia	Asia	2.08	+0.7% / 30.7 years
103	Monaco	Europe	2.08	-0.6% / 53.1 years
105	Panama	Latin America and the Caribbean	2.07	+1.2% / 30.6 years
106	Myanmar	Asia	2.06	+0.6% / 30.4 years
106	Seychelles	Africa	2.06	+1.5% / 34.6 years
108	United States Virgin Islands	Latin America and the Caribbean	2.05	-0.9% / 44.9 years
109	Guadeloupe	Latin America and the Caribbean	2.04	-0.4% / 47.4 years
109	Venezuela	Latin America and the Caribbean	2.04	+0.4% / 29.5 years
111	Belize	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.99	+1.3% / 27.3 years
112	Cook Islands	Oceania	1.97	-3.3% / 38.1 years
113	Martinique	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.95	-0.8% / 50.2 years
114	India	Asia	1.93	+0.9% / 29.2 years
114	New Caledonia	Oceania	1.93	+0.8% / 34.8 years
114	Peru	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.93	+1.0% / 30.5 years
114	Sri Lanka	Asia	1.93	+0.5% / 33.6 years
118	Nepal	Asia	1.92	+0.1% / 25.7 years
119	Greenland	Northern America	1.90	-0.2% / 35.5 years
120	Gibraltar	Europe	1.88	+1.7% / 38.8 years
121	Philippines	Asia	1.86	+0.8% / 26.6 years
121	Vietnam	Asia	1.86	+0.6% / 33.9 years
123	Mexico	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.85	+0.8% / 30.0 years
124	Palau	Oceania	1.84	-0.3% / 38.9 years
125	Montenegro	Europe	1.79	-0.5% / 40.4 years
125	Tunisia	Africa	1.79	+0.5% / 33.4 years
127	Ecuador	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.78	+0.8% / 29.7 years
127	Georgia	Asia	1.78	-0.1% / 37.6 years
129	Bahrain	Asia	1.77	+1.8% / 33.4 years
130	North Korea	Asia	1.75	+0.2% / 36.8 years
131	Bulgaria	Europe	1.74	-0.7% / 45.0 years
131	El Salvador	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.74	+0.4% / 28.4 years
133	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.73	-0.7% / 34.7 years
134	Moldova	Europe	1.72	-1.0% / 39.1 years
135	Armenia	Asia	1.71	-0.7% / 37.2 years
135	Romania	Europe	1.71	-0.6% / 43.5 years
137	Barbados	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.70	+0.0% / 39.7 years
137	Brunei	Asia	1.70	+0.7% / 33.2 years
139	Falkland Islands (Malvinas)	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.69	-0.1% / 43.4 years
139	Qatar	Asia	1.69	+1.6% / 33.4 years
141	Azerbaijan	Asia	1.66	+0.5% / 34.1 years
141	Iran	Asia	1.66	+0.8% / 34.5 years
143	Australia	Oceania	1.64	+0.9% / 38.5 years
143	France	Europe	1.64	+0.1% / 42.5 years
143	New Zealand	Oceania	1.64	+0.7% / 38.0 years
143	Saint Helena	Africa	1.64	-1.1% / 51.0 years
147	Turkey	Asia	1.62	+0.3% / 33.9 years
147	United States	Northern America	1.62	+0.5% / 38.7 years
149	Aruba	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.61	-0.0% / 41.7 years
150	Colombia	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.60	+0.9% / 33.0 years
150	Ireland	Europe	1.60	+0.9% / 39.2 years
152	Brazil	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.59	+0.3% / 35.2 years
153	Slovenia	Europe	1.58	-0.1% / 45.0 years
154	Antigua and Barbuda	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.57	+0.4% / 36.7 years
154	Slovakia	Europe	1.57	-0.2% / 42.8 years
156	Liechtenstein	Europe	1.54	+0.6% / 44.7 years
157	Isle of Man	Europe	1.53	-0.1% / 46.3 years
157	Maldives	Asia	1.53	+0.3% / 33.4 years
157	United Kingdom	Europe	1.53	+0.5% / 40.2 years
160	Denmark	Europe	1.52	+0.3% / 41.3 years
160	Kosovo	Europe	1.52	-0.3% / 33.2 years
160	Malaysia	Asia	1.52	+1.1% / 31.4 years
160	Portugal	Europe	1.52	-0.2% / 47.2 years
160	Trinidad and Tobago	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.52	+0.1% / 38.2 years
165	Argentina	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.51	+0.3% / 33.3 years
165	Serbia	Europe	1.51	-0.7% / 44.7 years
167	Bosnia and Herzegovina	Europe	1.50	-0.8% / 46.1 years
167	Cayman Islands	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.50	+1.7% / 39.1 years
167	Hungary	Europe	1.50	-0.3% / 44.2 years
167	Saint Kitts and Nevis	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.50	+0.1% / 36.5 years
171	Cabo Verde	Africa	1.49	+0.4% / 29.5 years
171	Iceland	Europe	1.49	+0.9% / 36.6 years
171	Kuwait	Asia	1.49	+1.4% / 34.8 years
174	Croatia	Europe	1.47	-0.7% / 45.5 years
174	Czechia	Europe	1.47	-0.2% / 44.3 years
174	French Polynesia	Oceania	1.47	+0.2% / 36.7 years
174	North Macedonia	Europe	1.47	-0.6% / 41.4 years
174	Russia	Europe	1.47	-0.2% / 40.7 years
179	Dominica	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.46	-0.5% / 36.6 years
179	Germany	Europe	1.46	-0.2% / 45.7 years
181	Cuba	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.45	-0.4% / 42.5 years
181	Grenada	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.45	+0.0% / 34.9 years
181	Montserrat	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.45	-0.8% / 41.8 years
181	Switzerland	Europe	1.45	+0.4% / 43.2 years
185	Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.44	+1.6% / 39.7 years
185	Netherlands	Europe	1.44	+0.5% / 41.5 years
185	Sweden	Europe	1.44	+0.4% / 40.4 years
188	Bhutan	Asia	1.43	+0.7% / 31.0 years
188	Turks and Caicos Islands	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.43	+0.6% / 39.6 years
190	Bermuda	Northern America	1.42	-0.1% / 46.4 years
190	Norway	Europe	1.42	+0.4% / 40.1 years
190	Sint Maarten (Dutch part)	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.42	+1.1% / 42.0 years
193	Luxembourg	Europe	1.41	+1.0% / 39.7 years
194	Belgium	Europe	1.40	+0.1% / 42.1 years
195	Wallis and Futuna Islands	Oceania	1.39	-0.7% / 38.6 years
196	Estonia	Europe	1.38	-0.5% / 43.2 years
196	Jersey	Europe	1.38	+0.1% / 43.9 years
196	Uruguay	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.38	-0.1% / 36.7 years
199	Cyprus	Asia	1.37	+0.8% / 39.1 years
199	Guernsey	Europe	1.37	+0.1% / 44.5 years
199	Saint Lucia	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.37	+0.2% / 35.1 years
202	Bahamas	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.36	+0.4% / 35.7 years
203	Latvia	Europe	1.35	-0.8% / 43.8 years
204	Anguilla	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.34	+0.5% / 39.1 years
204	Austria	Europe	1.34	-0.1% / 43.9 years
204	Greece	Europe	1.34	-0.4% / 47.1 years
207	Canada	Northern America	1.33	+0.8% / 40.8 years
207	Jamaica	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.33	-0.2% / 33.3 years
209	Albania	Europe	1.32	-0.7% / 37.8 years
210	Costa Rica	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.31	+0.4% / 35.7 years
210	Poland	Europe	1.31	-0.4% / 43.0 years
212	Finland	Europe	1.30	-0.1% / 43.4 years
213	Saint Pierre and Miquelon	Northern America	1.28	-1.1% / 47.6 years
214	Spain	Europe	1.24	-0.1% / 46.3 years
215	Belarus	Europe	1.23	-0.7% / 41.8 years
215	Japan	Asia	1.23	-0.6% / 50.2 years
217	Italy	Europe	1.22	-0.4% / 48.6 years
217	Lithuania	Europe	1.22	-0.8% / 42.6 years
219	Mauritius	Africa	1.21	-0.3% / 38.3 years
219	United Arab Emirates	Asia	1.21	+1.7% / 31.6 years
221	Thailand	Asia	1.19	-0.1% / 41.0 years
222	San Marino	Europe	1.17	+0.1% / 49.1 years
223	Chile	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.12	+0.4% / 37.4 years
223	Malta	Europe	1.12	+0.4% / 41.5 years
225	Andorra	Europe	1.11	+1.0% / 44.2 years
226	British Virgin Islands	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.07	+0.4% / 39.1 years
226	Curaçao	Latin America and the Caribbean	1.07	-0.0% / 39.0 years
228	China	Asia	1.03	-0.2% / 40.6 years
229	Ukraine	Europe	1.00	-0.7% / 41.8 years
229	Vatican City	Europe	1.00	+1.4% / 56.2 years
231	Singapore	Asia	0.97	+0.6% / 36.8 years
232	Puerto Rico	Latin America and the Caribbean	0.94	-0.5% / 46.2 years
233	Taiwan	Asia	0.86	-0.4% / 45.4 years
234	Saint Barthélemy	Latin America and the Caribbean	0.84	+1.1% / 39.1 years
235	South Korea	Asia	0.76	-0.1% / 46.2 years
236	Hong Kong	Asia	0.75	-0.5% / 47.9 years
237	Macao	Asia	0.70	+0.2% / 40.3 years

What this ranking measures—and what it does not

Definition

Total fertility rate is the number of births a hypothetical woman would have if she experienced the year’s age-specific fertility rates throughout her reproductive years. It is a synthetic period measure, not a completed-family count.

Why it matters

Fertility shapes the size of new cohorts and, when sustained, the base of the population pyramid. Existing age structure, mortality, and migration determine how quickly a fertility change affects total population.

Read with care

The familiar 2.1 replacement shorthand is approximate and assumes low mortality and no migration. A below-replacement rate does not imply that population is already declining.

What stands out in this comparison

Chad leads with 5.84, while Mozambique is at rank 10 with 4.54. At the other end of the complete table, Macao has 0.70.

Those positions describe this particular indicator, definition, and reference period. They do not imply that every country near the top has the same population pyramid or demographic path. Open the profiles to compare the underlying cohorts.

First five

Chad — rank 1, 5.84; growth / median age +2.6% / 15.7 years.
Democratic Republic of the Congo — rank 2, 5.80; growth / median age +3.1% / 15.9 years.
Somalia — rank 2, 5.80; growth / median age +3.2% / 15.6 years.
Central African Republic — rank 4, 5.69; growth / median age +3.3% / 14.6 years.
Niger — rank 5, 5.64; growth / median age +3.1% / 15.7 years.

Other end of the table

Macao — rank 237, 0.70; growth / median age +0.2% / 40.3 years.
Hong Kong — rank 236, 0.75; growth / median age -0.5% / 47.9 years.
South Korea — rank 235, 0.76; growth / median age -0.1% / 46.2 years.
Saint Barthélemy — rank 234, 0.84; growth / median age +1.1% / 39.1 years.
Taiwan — rank 233, 0.86; growth / median age -0.4% / 45.4 years.

Questions about this ranking

Which country or area ranks first for births per woman?

Chad ranks first in this comparison with 5.84. The table uses 2026 medium projection from UN World Population Prospects 2024.

Which values are estimates and which are projections?

In World Population Prospects 2024, historical estimates run through 2023 and values from 2024 onward are projections. The peak-year table labels historical and projected results separately.

Why might another source show a different rank?

Sources can use different reference dates, revisions, country definitions, estimation methods, or projection scenarios. Close ranks can also change after revisions.