Comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children in China
China: Comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children was 0.999 live births per woman in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
0.999 live births per woman
Change on year
down 3.4%
World rank
228th
of 236 countries
All-time high
7.51 live births per woman
in 1963
All-time low
0.999 live births per woman
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children in China, 1950–2023
Source: Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in live births per woman.
Analysis
In 2023, comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children in China stood at 0.999 live births per woman. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is down 3.4% on the previous year and down 41.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children in China peaked at 7.51 live births per woman in 1963 and was at its lowest, 0.999 live births per woman, in 2023.
China ranks 228th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children in China, year by year
| Year | live births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 5.81 live births per woman | — |
| 1951 | 5.7 live births per woman | -2.0% |
| 1952 | 6.47 live births per woman | +13.6% |
| 1953 | 6.04 live births per woman | -6.6% |
| 1954 | 6.28 live births per woman | +3.9% |
| 1955 | 6.26 live births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1956 | 5.85 live births per woman | -6.5% |
| 1957 | 6.42 live births per woman | +9.8% |
| 1958 | 5.7 live births per woman | -11.3% |
| 1959 | 4.72 live births per woman | -17.2% |
| 1960 | 4.45 live births per woman | -5.7% |
| 1961 | 3.86 live births per woman | -13.2% |
| 1962 | 6.08 live births per woman | +57.5% |
| 1963 | 7.51 live births per woman | +23.5% |
| 1964 | 6.67 live births per woman | -11.2% |
| 1965 | 6.61 live births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1966 | 6.31 live births per woman | -4.5% |
| 1967 | 5.81 live births per woman | -7.9% |
| 1968 | 6.51 live births per woman | +12.1% |
| 1969 | 6.17 live births per woman | -5.1% |
| 1970 | 6.08 live births per woman | -1.5% |
| 1971 | 5.52 live births per woman | -9.2% |
| 1972 | 5.11 live births per woman | -7.4% |
| 1973 | 4.73 live births per woman | -7.6% |
| 1974 | 4.17 live births per woman | -11.8% |
| 1975 | 3.57 live births per woman | -14.4% |
| 1976 | 3.23 live births per woman | -9.4% |
| 1977 | 2.84 live births per woman | -12.1% |
| 1978 | 2.72 live births per woman | -4.5% |
| 1979 | 2.75 live births per woman | +1.1% |
| 1980 | 2.74 live births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 2.79 live births per woman | +1.9% |
| 1982 | 2.97 live births per woman | +6.4% |
| 1983 | 2.56 live births per woman | -13.9% |
| 1984 | 2.61 live births per woman | +1.9% |
| 1985 | 2.63 live births per woman | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 2.72 live births per woman | +3.3% |
| 1987 | 2.76 live births per woman | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 2.54 live births per woman | -8.0% |
| 1989 | 2.52 live births per woman | -0.7% |
| 1990 | 2.51 live births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 1.93 live births per woman | -23.1% |
| 1992 | 1.78 live births per woman | -8.2% |
| 1993 | 1.69 live births per woman | -4.8% |
| 1994 | 1.63 live births per woman | -3.7% |
| 1995 | 1.59 live births per woman | -2.5% |
| 1996 | 1.55 live births per woman | -2.1% |
| 1997 | 1.53 live births per woman | -1.7% |
| 1998 | 1.52 live births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 1.53 live births per woman | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 1.63 live births per woman | +6.4% |
| 2001 | 1.56 live births per woman | -4.0% |
| 2002 | 1.57 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 1.57 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 1.6 live births per woman | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 1.62 live births per woman | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 1.64 live births per woman | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 1.67 live births per woman | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 1.7 live births per woman | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 1.71 live births per woman | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 1.69 live births per woman | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 1.67 live births per woman | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 1.8 live births per woman | +7.8% |
| 2013 | 1.71 live births per woman | -4.7% |
| 2014 | 1.77 live births per woman | +3.2% |
| 2015 | 1.67 live births per woman | -5.6% |
| 2016 | 1.77 live births per woman | +6.1% |
| 2017 | 1.79 live births per woman | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 1.54 live births per woman | -14.3% |
| 2019 | 1.5 live births per woman | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 1.24 live births per woman | -17.4% |
| 2021 | 1.12 live births per woman | -9.6% |
| 2022 | 1.03 live births per woman | -7.4% |
| 2023 | 0.999 live births per woman | -3.4% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 0.999 live births per woman is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.82 live births per woman, 55% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 0.999 live births per woman is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.13 live births per woman, 47% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | +57.5% | 3.86 live births per woman | 6.08 live births per woman |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 5.93 live births per woman | 4.72 live births per woman | 6.47 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1960s | 6 live births per woman | 3.86 live births per woman | 7.51 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 4.07 live births per woman | 2.72 live births per woman | 6.08 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.68 live births per woman | 2.52 live births per woman | 2.97 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.73 live births per woman | 1.52 live births per woman | 2.51 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.63 live births per woman | 1.56 live births per woman | 1.71 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.69 live births per woman | 1.5 live births per woman | 1.8 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.1 live births per woman | 0.999 live births per woman | 1.24 live births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
- 225 Curacao 1.07 live births per woman compare
- 226 British Virgin Islands 1.04 live births per woman compare
- 227 Vatican 1 live births per woman compare
- 229 Ukraine 0.977 live births per woman compare
- 230 Singapore 0.943 live births per woman compare
- 231 Puerto Rico 0.941 live births per woman compare
More population data for China
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -1.19 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -1.66 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -12.97 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -1.66 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -1.7% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 15.54 million people (2100)
- Population density 67.46 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -1.7% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.3489 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.1671 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children in China?
- Comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children in China was 0.999 live births per woman in 2023, according to Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 7.51 live births per woman in 1963.
- What is the lowest comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.999 live births per woman in 2023.
- How does China rank for comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children?
- China ranks 228th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 41.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average number of live births a hypothetical cohort of women would have at the end of their reproductive period if they were subject during their whole lives to the fertility rates of a given period and if they were not subject to mortality.