Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate was 1.95 births per woman in 2024. ▼ Falling
Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate in Sri Lanka, 1960–2024
Source: United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 1.95 births per woman for total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
The figure is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 8.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate in Sri Lanka peaked at 5.35 births per woman in 1960 and was at its lowest, 1.95 births per woman, in 2024.
That places Sri Lanka 107th out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.96 births per woman | 4.5 births per woman | 5.35 births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.96 births per woman | 3.74 births per woman | 4.39 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.02 births per woman | 2.56 births per woman | 3.73 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.35 births per woman | 2.14 births per woman | 2.54 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.26 births per woman | 2.18 births per woman | 2.31 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.1 births per woman | 2.02 births per woman | 2.18 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.98 births per woman | 1.95 births per woman | 2.01 births per woman | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 104 New Caledonia 1.96 births per woman compare
- 105 India 1.96 births per woman compare
- 106 Nepal 1.96 births per woman compare
- 108 Faroe Islands 1.91 births per woman compare
- 109 Vietnam 1.9 births per woman compare
- 110 Philippines 1.89 births per woman compare
More population data for Sri Lanka
- World population growth -0.6% (2100)
- Population density 343.51 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 901,396 people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.6% (2100)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 1.95 births per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 1.95 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 232 people (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. Share of people who are religious 1.97 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age 1.95 children per women (2023)
- Birth rate by women's age group 15.09 live births per 1,000 women aged 15-19 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate in Sri Lanka?
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate in Sri Lanka was 1.95 births per woman in 2024, according to United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 5.35 births per woman in 1960.
- What is the lowest total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.95 births per woman in 2024.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate?
- Sri Lanka ranks 107th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The total fertility rate summarizes the total number of births a woman would have, if she experienced the birth rates seen in women of each age group in one particular year across her childbearing years. The wanted fertility is an estimate of what the total fertility rate would be if all unwanted births were avoided, based on survey data.