Belgium vs Netherlands: Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception
Belgium
1.44 births per woman
in 2024
Netherlands
1.43 births per woman
in 2024
Belgium rank
165th
Netherlands rank
168th
Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception over time
- Belgium
- Netherlands
How they compare
Belgium currently reports 1.44 births per woman against 1.43 births per woman in Netherlands, a difference of 0.01 births per woman.
The two have swapped places 11 times across 65 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Netherlands ahead.
Belgium ranks 165th and Netherlands ranks 168th of 215 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Belgium averaged higher in 6 and Netherlands in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Belgium | Netherlands | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.53 births per woman | 3.01 births per woman | 0.483 births per woman | Netherlands |
| 1970s | 1.89 births per woman | 1.88 births per woman | 0.013 births per woman | Belgium |
| 1980s | 1.58 births per woman | 1.53 births per woman | 0.046 births per woman | Belgium |
| 1990s | 1.61 births per woman | 1.59 births per woman | 0.021 births per woman | Belgium |
| 2000s | 1.74 births per woman | 1.73 births per woman | 0.011 births per woman | Belgium |
| 2010s | 1.72 births per woman | 1.68 births per woman | 0.046 births per woman | Belgium |
| 2020s | 1.52 births per woman | 1.5 births per woman | 0.016 births per woman | Belgium |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception, Belgium or Netherlands?
- Belgium, at 1.44 births per woman against 1.43 births per woman in Netherlands as of 2024.
- What is the difference in fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception between Belgium and Netherlands?
- 0.01 births per woman, with Belgium ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Netherlands?
- 65 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2024.
- How do Belgium and Netherlands rank globally for fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception?
- Belgium ranks 165th and Netherlands ranks 168th 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.