Fertility rate, total in China (People’s Republic of)
China (People’s Republic of): Fertility rate, total was 0.999 births per woman in 2023. ▼ Falling
Fertility rate, total in China (People’s Republic of), 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
In 2023, fertility rate, total in China (People’s Republic of) stood at 0.999 births per woman. That is the lowest value across all 54 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3.4% on the previous year and down 41.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate, total in China (People’s Republic of) peaked at 6.08 births per woman in 1970 and was at its lowest, 0.999 births per woman, in 2023.
That places China (People’s Republic of) 209th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 54 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.07 births per woman | 2.72 births per woman | 6.08 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.68 births per woman | 2.52 births per woman | 2.97 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.73 births per woman | 1.52 births per woman | 2.51 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.63 births per woman | 1.56 births per woman | 1.71 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.69 births per woman | 1.5 births per woman | 1.8 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.1 births per woman | 0.999 births per woman | 1.24 births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near China (People’s Republic of)
- 206 Andorra, Principality of 1.08 births per woman compare
- 207 Malta 1.06 births per woman compare
- 208 British Virgin Islands 1.04 births per woman compare
- 210 Ukraine 0.977 births per woman compare
- 211 Singapore 0.97 births per woman compare
- 212 Puerto Rico 0.92 births per woman compare
More population data for China (People’s Republic of)
- Population growth rate by level of development -1.68 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 15.54 million (2100)
- Population density 67.46 (2100)
- Population growth rate -1.68 (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)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 1.31 million Persons (2050)
- Fertility and wanted fertility 1.01 (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum 303,405 (2020)
- Fertility vs unmet contraception 1.01 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate, total in China (People’s Republic of)?
- Fertility rate, total in China (People’s Republic of) was 0.999 births per woman in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest fertility rate, total recorded in China (People’s Republic of)?
- The highest recorded value was 6.08 births per woman in 1970.
- What is the lowest fertility rate, total recorded in China (People’s Republic of)?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.999 births per woman in 2023.
- How does China (People’s Republic of) rank for fertility rate, total?
- China (People’s Republic of) ranks 209th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate, total rising or falling in China (People’s Republic of)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 41.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China (People’s Republic of) data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Fertility rate, total (births per woman). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release