In 2023, the fertility rate in Niger was estimated to be 6.73 children per woman. With a fertility rate of almost 7 children per woman, Niger is the country with the highest fertility rate in the world followed by Mali.
In the past 20 years, South Korea has recorded some of the lowest fertility and marriage levels in the world. As of 2021, South Korea is the country with the world's lowest total fertility rate at 0.81. The TFR of the capital Seoul was 0.63 in 2021.
Birth rate - Country rankings
The average for 2021 based on 194 countries was 18.88 births per 1000 people. The highest value was in Niger: 45.29 births per 1000 people and the lowest value was in Hong Kong: 5 births per 1000 people. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2021.
In the United States, the highest fertility rates (per 1,000 women ages 15-44) during 2018-2020 (average) were to Hispanic women (64.8), followed by blacks (62.6), American Indian/Alaska Natives (60.8), Asian/Pacific Islanders (55.6) and Whites (55.3).
Racial differences were seen where Asians had the highest mean semen concentrations (69.2 × 106/mL) while blacks had the lowest (51.3 × 106/mL).
In most western countries, fertility is low, and men's fertility is slightly below that of women, often by around 0.1 children (Figure 2). However, men's fertility is much higher than women's in many other countries of the world where the fertility transition is still under way (Figure 2).
A Russian woman named Valentina Vassilyeva is known as being the woman who has given birth to the most children in one lifetime. We often see stories these days about a family that has got anywhere between 15 and 30 children, but nobody comes close to Vassilyeva.
Causes of low fertility
South Korea is facing a decline in childbirth because many young people are distancing themselves from marriage and having children due to the lack of decent job opportunities, high home prices, and heavy private education fees.
South Korea has the lowest fertility rate globally at 0.9 children per woman, closely followed by Puerto Rico at 1.0 and a trio of Malta, Singapore, and the Chinese Special Administrative Region Hong Kong all at 1.1 children per woman.
With a fertility rate of almost 7 children per woman, Niger is the country with the highest fertility rate in the world followed by Mali. The total population of Niger is growing at a fast pace.
Many younger Japanese have balked at marrying or having families, discouraged by bleak job prospects, corporate cultures that are incompatible with both parents — but especially women — working, and a lack of public tolerance for small children. Many couples also hesitate to have children due to rising costs.
About 385,000 babies are born each day according to the UN. That adds up to more than 140 million a year. The 140 million extra babies per year join a world population projected to reach 10 billion people by 2056.
"We think that couples' fears of a health and social crisis at the time of the first wave of Covid-19 contributed to the decrease in live births nine months later,” he said. In March 2021, births had rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, but it did not account for the decline two months before.
In its public pronouncements, Pyongyang has called for accelerated population growth and encouraged large families. According to one Korean American scholar who visited North Korea in the early 1980s, the country has no birth control policies; parents are encouraged to have as many as six children.
Throughout the centuries, China's population development was characterized by 4 trends: 1) High birth rate caused by: a patriarchical system and ethical philosophy of ancestor worship which required a continuous family line, plus a system of private ownership where land was the primary means of production; a political ...
Young Koreans cite as obstacles the high cost of housing in greater Seoul (home to roughly half the country's 52 million citizens), the expense of raising a child in a hypercompetitive academic culture, and grueling workplace norms that are inhospitable to family life, especially for women, who are still expected to do ...
China is facing a population crisis in part due to more women choosing to focus on their careers and personal goals, instead of starting a family. Already grappling with an aging population and poised to be overtaken by India as the world's most populous country, China continues to struggle to boost its birth rate.
One study estimated a woman can have around 15 pregnancies in a lifetime. And depending on how many babies she births for each pregnancy, she'd probably have around 15-30 children. But the "most prolific mother ever," according to Guinness World Records, was Mrs. Feodor Vassilyev in 19th century Russia.
Erramatti Mangamma currently holds the record for being the oldest living mother who gave birth at the age of 73 through in-vitro fertilisation via caesarean section in the city of Hyderabad, India. She delivered twin baby girls, making her also the oldest mother to give birth to twins.
The man who is thought to have fathered the most children of all time is Moroccan Sultan Ismail Ibn Sharif (1645 to 1727) with a total of more than 1,000, according to Guinness World Records.
What is infertility? Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive a pregnancy after 12 months of unprotected sexual intercourse. It affects about 1 in 6 Australian couples of reproductive age. Causes of infertility are many and varied and involve male, female or a combination of factors.
Male Fertility Facts
Peak male fertility is around 25-29 years old. Sperm quality begins to decline at 30. At 45, men begin to experience a significant decrease in semen volume. Older men can also take longer to conceive a child.
There's no maximum age that stops a man from being able to have a baby. You can become a father long into your older years, but there are risks.