How does South Africa rank for fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age?

South Africa ranks 105th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.

Is fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age rising or falling in South Africa?

Over the last ten years it is down 7.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.

Where does this South Africa 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.

Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age in South Africa

Name: Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age in South Africa
Creator: Malani and Jacob (2024); UN, World Population Prospects (2024); Human Mortality Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

South Africa: Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age was 2.07 children per women in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)

2.07 children per women

Change on year

down 0.2%

World rank

105th

of 236 countries

All-time high

4.8 children per women

in 1960

All-time low

2.03 children per women

in 2002

Years of data

1950–2023

Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age in South Africa, 1950–2023

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 South Africa stood at 2.07 children per women.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 7.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age in South Africa peaked at 4.8 children per women in 1960 and was at its lowest, 2.03 children per women, in 2002.

South Africa ranks 105th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.

Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age in South Africa, 1950 to 2023.
Year	children per women	Change
1950	4.29 children per women	—
1951	4.38 children per women	+2.0%
1952	4.45 children per women	+1.7%
1953	4.52 children per women	+1.5%
1954	4.59 children per women	+1.5%
1955	4.65 children per women	+1.4%
1956	4.71 children per women	+1.1%
1957	4.75 children per women	+0.9%
1958	4.79 children per women	+0.8%
1959	4.8 children per women	+0.2%
1960	4.8 children per women	+0.0%
1961	4.79 children per women	-0.2%
1962	4.77 children per women	-0.5%
1963	4.74 children per women	-0.6%
1964	4.69 children per women	-1.0%
1965	4.63 children per women	-1.2%
1966	4.64 children per women	+0.1%
1967	4.58 children per women	-1.1%
1968	4.52 children per women	-1.4%
1969	4.46 children per women	-1.3%
1970	4.38 children per women	-1.7%
1971	4.32 children per women	-1.4%
1972	4.25 children per women	-1.6%
1973	4.19 children per women	-1.5%
1974	4.1 children per women	-2.1%
1975	4.03 children per women	-1.8%
1976	3.95 children per women	-1.9%
1977	3.87 children per women	-1.9%
1978	3.84 children per women	-1.0%
1979	3.85 children per women	+0.3%
1980	3.86 children per women	+0.3%
1981	3.84 children per women	-0.3%
1982	3.87 children per women	+0.8%
1983	3.86 children per women	-0.4%
1984	3.85 children per women	-0.3%
1985	3.82 children per women	-0.6%
1986	3.78 children per women	-1.0%
1987	3.76 children per women	-0.5%
1988	3.64 children per women	-3.3%
1989	3.49 children per women	-4.2%
1990	3.28 children per women	-6.1%
1991	3.19 children per women	-2.5%
1992	3.08 children per women	-3.6%
1993	2.99 children per women	-3.0%
1994	2.89 children per women	-3.4%
1995	2.81 children per women	-2.7%
1996	2.64 children per women	-5.8%
1997	2.41 children per women	-8.8%
1998	2.31 children per women	-4.2%
1999	2.24 children per women	-3.3%
2000	2.12 children per women	-5.4%
2001	2.08 children per women	-1.6%
2002	2.03 children per women	-2.3%
2003	2.06 children per women	+1.6%
2004	2.15 children per women	+4.0%
2005	2.22 children per women	+3.3%
2006	2.27 children per women	+2.2%
2007	2.27 children per women	+0.3%
2008	2.41 children per women	+5.9%
2009	2.27 children per women	-5.7%
2010	2.23 children per women	-1.5%
2011	2.24 children per women	+0.4%
2012	2.26 children per women	+0.7%
2013	2.24 children per women	-0.8%
2014	2.24 children per women	+0.1%
2015	2.19 children per women	-2.4%
2016	2.1 children per women	-3.8%
2017	2.13 children per women	+1.3%
2018	2.12 children per women	-0.7%
2019	2.11 children per women	-0.4%
2020	2.11 children per women	+0.3%
2021	2.09 children per women	-0.9%
2022	2.07 children per women	-1.0%
2023	2.07 children per women	-0.2%

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1950s	4.59 children per women	4.29 children per women	4.8 children per women	10
1960s	4.66 children per women	4.46 children per women	4.8 children per women	10
1970s	4.08 children per women	3.84 children per women	4.38 children per women	10
1980s	3.78 children per women	3.49 children per women	3.87 children per women	10
1990s	2.78 children per women	2.24 children per women	3.28 children per women	10
2000s	2.19 children per women	2.03 children per women	2.41 children per women	10
2010s	2.19 children per women	2.1 children per women	2.26 children per women	10
2020s	2.09 children per women	2.07 children per women	2.11 children per women	4

Countries ranked near South Africa

102 Bangladesh 2.08 children per women compare
103 Seychelles 2.08 children per women compare
104 Panama 2.07 children per women compare
106 United States Virgin Islands 2.07 children per women compare
107 Guadeloupe 2.06 children per women compare
108 Indonesia 2.05 children per women compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for South Africa

Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.2264 % change on previous year (2100)
Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.7997 % change on previous year (2050)
Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.2264 % change on previous year (2100)
Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.1847 % change on previous year (2100)
Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 73,530 Persons (2050)
Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.8824 Percent per annum (2030)
Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.0148 % change on previous year (2100)
World population growth 0.2% (2100)
Population density 77.75 people per km² (2100)
Number of children under 5, by world region 5.55 million people (2100)

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age in South Africa?: Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age in South Africa was 2.07 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 South Africa?: The highest recorded value was 4.8 children per women in 1960.
What is the lowest fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age recorded in South Africa?: The lowest recorded value was 2.03 children per women in 2002.
How does South Africa rank for fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age?: South Africa ranks 105th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age rising or falling in South Africa?: Over the last ten years it is down 7.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa 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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Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Malani and Jacob (2024); UN, World Population Prospects (2024); Human Mortality Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/effective-fertility-rate-children-per-woman-who-are-expected-to-survive-until/south-africa/

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<a href="https://population.statizoid.com/stat/effective-fertility-rate-children-per-woman-who-are-expected-to-survive-until/south-africa/">Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator: Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age
Unit: children per women
Source: Malani and Jacob (2024); UN, World Population Prospects (2024); Human Mortality Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 236 places, 18,723 data points, 1751–2023
Last refreshed: 28 August 2026

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).