Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) in Eswatini
Eswatini: Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) was 2.75 births per woman in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
2.75 births per woman
Change on year
down 1.7%
World rank
62nd
of 215 countries
All-time high
6.75 births per woman
in 1970
All-time low
2.75 births per woman
in 2023
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Fertility rate, total in Eswatini, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
Eswatini recorded 2.75 births per woman for fertility rate, total in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 54 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 15.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate, total in Eswatini peaked at 6.75 births per woman in 1970 and was at its lowest, 2.75 births per woman, in 2023.
Eswatini ranks 62nd of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 54 years of available data.
Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) in Eswatini, year by year
| Year | births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 6.75 births per woman | — |
| 1971 | 6.74 births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 6.72 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1973 | 6.71 births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1974 | 6.71 births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 6.71 births per woman | -0.0% |
| 1976 | 6.7 births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 6.68 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1978 | 6.65 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1979 | 6.61 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 6.57 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 1981 | 6.54 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 1982 | 6.49 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 1983 | 6.43 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1984 | 6.36 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1985 | 6.28 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1986 | 6.11 births per woman | -2.8% |
| 1987 | 5.9 births per woman | -3.3% |
| 1988 | 5.69 births per woman | -3.5% |
| 1989 | 5.48 births per woman | -3.8% |
| 1990 | 5.29 births per woman | -3.4% |
| 1991 | 5.13 births per woman | -3.1% |
| 1992 | 4.98 births per woman | -2.9% |
| 1993 | 4.82 births per woman | -3.3% |
| 1994 | 4.66 births per woman | -3.2% |
| 1995 | 4.52 births per woman | -3.0% |
| 1996 | 4.38 births per woman | -3.2% |
| 1997 | 4.24 births per woman | -3.3% |
| 1998 | 4.12 births per woman | -2.6% |
| 1999 | 4.09 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 4.03 births per woman | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 3.94 births per woman | -2.1% |
| 2002 | 3.85 births per woman | -2.3% |
| 2003 | 3.8 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 3.76 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 3.7 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 3.63 births per woman | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 3.58 births per woman | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 3.57 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 3.5 births per woman | -1.8% |
| 2010 | 3.38 births per woman | -3.7% |
| 2011 | 3.32 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 3.27 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 3.24 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 3.18 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 3.12 births per woman | -1.9% |
| 2016 | 3.07 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 3.02 births per woman | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 2.97 births per woman | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 2.92 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 2.89 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 2.84 births per woman | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 2.8 births per woman | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 2.75 births per woman | -1.7% |
Eswatini compared with similar countries
- Eswatini's 2.75 births per woman is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.15 births per woman, 87% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Eswatini's 2.75 births per woman is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4 births per woman, 69% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6.7 births per woman | 6.61 births per woman | 6.75 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.19 births per woman | 5.48 births per woman | 6.57 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.62 births per woman | 4.09 births per woman | 5.29 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.74 births per woman | 3.5 births per woman | 4.03 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.15 births per woman | 2.92 births per woman | 3.38 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.82 births per woman | 2.75 births per woman | 2.89 births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near Eswatini
More population data for Eswatini
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.6638 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.312 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.6638 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.0005 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -1.06 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.662 (2100)
- Population density 77.96 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 74,031 (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.662 (2100)
- Urbanization vs gdp, annual growth rate 1.8 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate, total in Eswatini?
- Fertility rate, total in Eswatini was 2.75 births per woman in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest fertility rate, total recorded in Eswatini?
- The highest recorded value was 6.75 births per woman in 1970.
- What is the lowest fertility rate, total recorded in Eswatini?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.75 births per woman in 2023.
- How does Eswatini rank for fertility rate, total?
- Eswatini ranks 62nd out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate, total rising or falling in Eswatini?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Eswatini 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.
Download this data
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