Iceland vs New Zealand: Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate
Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate over time
- Iceland
- New Zealand
How they compare
New Zealand currently reports 1.57 births per woman against 1.56 births per woman in Iceland, a difference of 0.01 births per woman.
The two have swapped places 15 times across 65 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Iceland ahead.
Iceland ranks 139th and New Zealand ranks 138th of 215 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Iceland averaged higher in 5 and New Zealand in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iceland | New Zealand | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.67 births per woman | 3.75 births per woman | 0.084 births per woman | New Zealand |
| 1970s | 2.67 births per woman | 2.57 births per woman | 0.101 births per woman | Iceland |
| 1980s | 2.18 births per woman | 2 births per woman | 0.178 births per woman | Iceland |
| 1990s | 2.13 births per woman | 2.01 births per woman | 0.122 births per woman | Iceland |
| 2000s | 2.06 births per woman | 2.02 births per woman | 0.036 births per woman | Iceland |
| 2010s | 1.88 births per woman | 1.94 births per woman | 0.057 births per woman | New Zealand |
| 2020s | 1.65 births per woman | 1.62 births per woman | 0.0318 births per woman | Iceland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate, Iceland or New Zealand?
- New Zealand, at 1.57 births per woman against 1.56 births per woman in Iceland as of 2024.
- What is the difference in total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate between Iceland and New Zealand?
- 0.01 births per woman, with New Zealand ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and New Zealand?
- 65 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2024.
- How do Iceland and New Zealand rank globally for total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate?
- Iceland ranks 139th and New Zealand ranks 138th of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) β 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.