Bangladesh vs South Africa: Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception
Bangladesh
2.14 births per woman
in 2024
South Africa
2.21 births per woman
in 2024
Bangladesh rank
95th
South Africa rank
94th
Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception over time
- Bangladesh
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 2.21 births per woman against 2.14 births per woman in Bangladesh, a difference of 0.07 births per woman.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 65 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Bangladesh ahead.
Bangladesh ranks 95th and South Africa ranks 94th of 215 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Bangladesh averaged higher in 5 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Bangladesh | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.78 births per woman | 5.94 births per woman | 0.8485 births per woman | Bangladesh |
| 1970s | 6.7 births per woman | 5.23 births per woman | 1.47 births per woman | Bangladesh |
| 1980s | 5.58 births per woman | 4.48 births per woman | 1.1 births per woman | Bangladesh |
| 1990s | 3.77 births per woman | 3.15 births per woman | 0.6205 births per woman | Bangladesh |
| 2000s | 2.89 births per woman | 2.47 births per woman | 0.4216 births per woman | Bangladesh |
| 2010s | 2.25 births per woman | 2.36 births per woman | 0.1158 births per woman | South Africa |
| 2020s | 2.17 births per woman | 2.23 births per woman | 0.065 births per woman | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception, Bangladesh or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 2.21 births per woman against 2.14 births per woman in Bangladesh as of 2024.
- What is the difference in fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception between Bangladesh and South Africa?
- 0.07 births per woman, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Bangladesh and South Africa?
- 65 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2024.
- How do Bangladesh and South Africa rank globally for fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception?
- Bangladesh ranks 95th 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) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The total fertility rate, in a given year. The unmet need for contraception shows the estimated share of married fertile women of reproductive age who do not want to become pregnant and are not using contraception.