France vs United States: Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception
France
1.61 births per woman
in 2024
United States
1.63 births per woman
in 2024
France rank
135th
United States rank
133rd
Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception over time
- France
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 1.63 births per woman against 1.61 births per woman in France, a difference of 0.02 births per woman.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 65 shared years of data; in 1960 it was United States ahead.
France ranks 135th and United States ranks 133rd of 215 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, France averaged higher in 3 and United States in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | France | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.81 births per woman | 3.04 births per woman | 0.2286 births per woman | United States |
| 1970s | 2.17 births per woman | 1.93 births per woman | 0.232 births per woman | France |
| 1980s | 1.84 births per woman | 1.86 births per woman | 0.0166 births per woman | United States |
| 1990s | 1.76 births per woman | 2.01 births per woman | 0.2572 births per woman | United States |
| 2000s | 1.94 births per woman | 2.06 births per woman | 0.1155 births per woman | United States |
| 2010s | 1.95 births per woman | 1.83 births per woman | 0.1249 births per woman | France |
| 2020s | 1.74 births per woman | 1.64 births per woman | 0.099 births per woman | France |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception, France or United States?
- United States, at 1.63 births per woman against 1.61 births per woman in France as of 2024.
- What is the difference in fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception between France and United States?
- 0.02 births per woman, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for France and United States?
- 65 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2024.
- How do France and United States rank globally for fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception?
- France ranks 135th 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 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.