China vs Spain: Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate
Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate over time
- China
- Spain
How they compare
Spain currently reports 1.1 births per woman against 1.01 births per woman in China, a difference of 0.09 births per woman.
That makes Spain's figure about 1.1 times China's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 65 shared years of data; in 1960 it was China ahead.
China ranks 208th and Spain ranks 205th of 215 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, China averaged higher in 6 and Spain in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6 births per woman | 2.88 births per woman | 3.11 births per woman | China |
| 1970s | 4.07 births per woman | 2.74 births per woman | 1.33 births per woman | China |
| 1980s | 2.68 births per woman | 1.73 births per woman | 0.9572 births per woman | China |
| 1990s | 1.73 births per woman | 1.22 births per woman | 0.5064 births per woman | China |
| 2000s | 1.63 births per woman | 1.32 births per woman | 0.3071 births per woman | China |
| 2010s | 1.69 births per woman | 1.31 births per woman | 0.3828 births per woman | China |
| 2020s | 1.08 births per woman | 1.15 births per woman | 0.0682 births per woman | Spain |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate, China or Spain?
- Spain, at 1.1 births per woman against 1.01 births per woman in China as of 2024.
- What is the difference in total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate between China and Spain?
- 0.09 births per woman, with Spain ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Spain?
- 65 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2024.
- How do China and Spain rank globally for total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate?
- China ranks 208th and Spain ranks 205th of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The total fertility rate summarizes the total number of births a woman would have, if she experienced the birth rates seen in women of each age group in one particular year across her childbearing years. The wanted fertility is an estimate of what the total fertility rate would be if all unwanted births were avoided, based on survey data.