Panama vs South Africa: Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception
Panama
2.11 births per woman
in 2024
South Africa
2.21 births per woman
in 2024
Panama rank
97th
South Africa rank
94th
Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception over time
- Panama
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 2.21 births per woman against 2.11 births per woman in Panama, a difference of 0.1 births per woman.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 65 shared years of data; in 1960 it was South Africa ahead.
Panama ranks 97th and South Africa ranks 94th of 215 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Panama averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Panama | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.68 births per woman | 5.94 births per woman | 0.2502 births per woman | South Africa |
| 1970s | 4.51 births per woman | 5.23 births per woman | 0.7161 births per woman | South Africa |
| 1980s | 3.46 births per woman | 4.48 births per woman | 1.02 births per woman | South Africa |
| 1990s | 2.89 births per woman | 3.15 births per woman | 0.2682 births per woman | South Africa |
| 2000s | 2.66 births per woman | 2.47 births per woman | 0.1908 births per woman | Panama |
| 2010s | 2.51 births per woman | 2.36 births per woman | 0.147 births per woman | Panama |
| 2020s | 2.14 births per woman | 2.23 births per woman | 0.0906 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, Panama or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 2.21 births per woman against 2.11 births per woman in Panama as of 2024.
- What is the difference in fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception between Panama and South Africa?
- 0.1 births per woman, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Panama and South Africa?
- 65 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2024.
- How do Panama and South Africa rank globally for fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception?
- Panama ranks 97th 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 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.