Indonesia vs South Africa: Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate
Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate over time
- Indonesia
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 2.21 births per woman against 2.12 births per woman in Indonesia, a difference of 0.09 births per woman.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 65 shared years of data; in 1960 it was South Africa ahead.
Indonesia ranks 96th and South Africa ranks 94th of 215 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Indonesia averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 6.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Indonesia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.56 births per woman | 5.94 births per woman | 0.378 births per woman | South Africa |
| 1970s | 5.07 births per woman | 5.23 births per woman | 0.1627 births per woman | South Africa |
| 1980s | 3.84 births per woman | 4.48 births per woman | 0.6361 births per woman | South Africa |
| 1990s | 2.84 births per woman | 3.15 births per woman | 0.3103 births per woman | South Africa |
| 2000s | 2.45 births per woman | 2.47 births per woman | 0.0192 births per woman | South Africa |
| 2010s | 2.37 births per woman | 2.36 births per woman | 0.0042 births per woman | Indonesia |
| 2020s | 2.15 births per woman | 2.23 births per woman | 0.0814 births per woman | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate, Indonesia or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 2.21 births per woman against 2.12 births per woman in Indonesia as of 2024.
- What is the difference in total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate between Indonesia and South Africa?
- 0.09 births per woman, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Indonesia and South Africa?
- 65 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2024.
- How do Indonesia and South Africa rank globally for total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate?
- Indonesia ranks 96th and South Africa ranks 94th 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.