Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age in New Zealand
New Zealand: Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age was 1.65 children per women in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1.65 children per women
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
142nd
of 236 countries
All-time high
4.14 children per women
in 1961
All-time low
1.61 children per women
in 2020
Years of data
76
1948–2023
Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age in New Zealand, 1948–2023
Source: Malani and Jacob (2024); UN, World Population Prospects (2024); Human Mortality Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in children per women.
Analysis
In 2023, fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age in New Zealand stood at 1.65 children per women.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 16.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age in New Zealand peaked at 4.14 children per women in 1961 and was at its lowest, 1.61 children per women, in 2020.
New Zealand ranks 142nd of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 76 years of available data.
Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | children per women | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 | 3.64 children per women | — |
| 1949 | 3.59 children per women | -1.3% |
| 1950 | 3.38 children per women | -5.9% |
| 1951 | 3.44 children per women | +1.7% |
| 1952 | 3.49 children per women | +1.4% |
| 1953 | 3.49 children per women | +0.1% |
| 1954 | 3.61 children per women | +3.5% |
| 1955 | 3.72 children per women | +3.0% |
| 1956 | 3.82 children per women | +2.5% |
| 1957 | 3.87 children per women | +1.3% |
| 1958 | 3.94 children per women | +1.9% |
| 1959 | 4.01 children per women | +1.7% |
| 1960 | 4.08 children per women | +1.8% |
| 1961 | 4.14 children per women | +1.4% |
| 1962 | 4.01 children per women | -3.1% |
| 1963 | 3.9 children per women | -2.8% |
| 1964 | 3.65 children per women | -6.4% |
| 1965 | 3.41 children per women | -6.4% |
| 1966 | 3.32 children per women | -2.8% |
| 1967 | 3.24 children per women | -2.3% |
| 1968 | 3.22 children per women | -0.5% |
| 1969 | 3.17 children per women | -1.6% |
| 1970 | 3.07 children per women | -3.2% |
| 1971 | 3.08 children per women | +0.3% |
| 1972 | 2.91 children per women | -5.4% |
| 1973 | 2.66 children per women | -8.7% |
| 1974 | 2.5 children per women | -5.8% |
| 1975 | 2.29 children per women | -8.4% |
| 1976 | 2.21 children per women | -3.6% |
| 1977 | 2.16 children per women | -2.3% |
| 1978 | 2.03 children per women | -6.2% |
| 1979 | 2.06 children per women | +1.6% |
| 1980 | 1.98 children per women | -3.8% |
| 1981 | 1.96 children per women | -0.9% |
| 1982 | 1.9 children per women | -3.2% |
| 1983 | 1.87 children per women | -1.5% |
| 1984 | 1.89 children per women | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 1.89 children per women | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 1.92 children per women | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 1.99 children per women | +3.6% |
| 1988 | 2.06 children per women | +3.5% |
| 1989 | 2.08 children per women | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 2.13 children per women | +2.4% |
| 1991 | 2.05 children per women | -3.4% |
| 1992 | 2.03 children per women | -1.4% |
| 1993 | 2 children per women | -1.1% |
| 1994 | 1.95 children per women | -2.8% |
| 1995 | 1.95 children per women | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 1.93 children per women | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 1.93 children per women | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 1.87 children per women | -2.9% |
| 1999 | 1.94 children per women | +3.7% |
| 2000 | 1.95 children per women | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 1.94 children per women | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 1.87 children per women | -3.7% |
| 2003 | 1.9 children per women | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 1.95 children per women | +2.3% |
| 2005 | 1.94 children per women | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 1.98 children per women | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 2.14 children per women | +7.9% |
| 2008 | 2.16 children per women | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 2.11 children per women | -2.5% |
| 2010 | 2.14 children per women | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 2.07 children per women | -3.1% |
| 2012 | 2.06 children per women | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 1.98 children per women | -4.0% |
| 2014 | 1.9 children per women | -4.1% |
| 2015 | 1.96 children per women | +3.1% |
| 2016 | 1.86 children per women | -5.3% |
| 2017 | 1.79 children per women | -3.5% |
| 2018 | 1.7 children per women | -5.1% |
| 2019 | 1.7 children per women | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 1.61 children per women | -4.9% |
| 2021 | 1.63 children per women | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 1.65 children per women | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 1.65 children per women | +0.2% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 1.65 children per women is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.49 children per women, 1.1× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 1.65 children per women is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.05 children per women, 81% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 3.61 children per women | 3.59 children per women | 3.64 children per women | 2 |
| 1950s | 3.68 children per women | 3.38 children per women | 4.01 children per women | 10 |
| 1960s | 3.61 children per women | 3.17 children per women | 4.14 children per women | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.5 children per women | 2.03 children per women | 3.08 children per women | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.95 children per women | 1.87 children per women | 2.08 children per women | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.98 children per women | 1.87 children per women | 2.13 children per women | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.99 children per women | 1.87 children per women | 2.16 children per women | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.92 children per women | 1.7 children per women | 2.14 children per women | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.64 children per women | 1.61 children per women | 1.65 children per women | 4 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 139 Barbados 1.68 children per women compare
- 140 Iran, Islamic Republic of 1.66 children per women compare
- 141 Falkland Islands, Malvinas 1.66 children per women compare
- 143 Azerbaijan 1.63 children per women compare
- 144 France 1.63 children per women compare
- 145 Australia 1.63 children per women compare
More population data for New Zealand
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.0744 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -14.71 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.0744 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.0739 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 5,949 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.628 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.191 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.1% (2100)
- Population density 22.07 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 256,010 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age in New Zealand?
- Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age in New Zealand was 1.65 children per women in 2023, according to Malani and Jacob (2024); UN, World Population Prospects (2024); Human Mortality Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 4.14 children per women in 1961.
- What is the lowest fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.61 children per women in 2020.
- How does New Zealand rank for fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age?
- New Zealand ranks 142nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from Malani and Jacob (2024); UN, World Population Prospects (2024); Human Mortality Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of children who live long enough to reproduce, per woman. This number is dependent on the survival of daughters to childbearing age (between 15 and 49 years old).