Iran vs United States: Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate
Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate over time
- Iran
- United States
How they compare
Iran currently reports 1.68 births per woman against 1.63 births per woman in United States, a difference of 0.05 births per woman.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 65 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Iran ahead.
Iran ranks 130th and United States ranks 133rd of 215 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Iran averaged higher in 6 and United States in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7.27 births per woman | 3.04 births per woman | 4.23 births per woman | Iran |
| 1970s | 6.27 births per woman | 1.93 births per woman | 4.34 births per woman | Iran |
| 1980s | 6.14 births per woman | 1.86 births per woman | 4.28 births per woman | Iran |
| 1990s | 3.25 births per woman | 2.01 births per woman | 1.24 births per woman | Iran |
| 2000s | 1.81 births per woman | 2.06 births per woman | 0.2489 births per woman | United States |
| 2010s | 1.91 births per woman | 1.83 births per woman | 0.0768 births per woman | Iran |
| 2020s | 1.7 births per woman | 1.64 births per woman | 0.0574 births per woman | Iran |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate, Iran or United States?
- Iran, at 1.68 births per woman against 1.63 births per woman in United States as of 2024.
- What is the difference in total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate between Iran and United States?
- 0.05 births per woman, with Iran ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and United States?
- 65 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2024.
- How do Iran and United States rank globally for total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate?
- Iran ranks 130th and United States ranks 133rd 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.