Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) in Zambia
Zambia: Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) was 4.1 births per woman in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
4.1 births per woman
Change on year
down 1.8%
World rank
24th
of 215 countries
All-time high
7.42 births per woman
in 1975
All-time low
4.1 births per woman
in 2023
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Fertility rate, total in Zambia, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fertility rate, total in Zambia is 4.1 births per woman, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 54 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.8% on the previous year and down 18.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate, total in Zambia peaked at 7.42 births per woman in 1975 and was at its lowest, 4.1 births per woman, in 2023.
That places Zambia 24th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 54 years of available data.
Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 7.22 births per woman | — |
| 1971 | 7.26 births per woman | +0.5% |
| 1972 | 7.3 births per woman | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 7.34 births per woman | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 7.36 births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 7.42 births per woman | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 7.39 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1977 | 7.35 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 1978 | 7.29 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1979 | 7.22 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1980 | 7.14 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1981 | 7.07 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1982 | 7.04 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 1983 | 7.01 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 1984 | 6.97 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 1985 | 6.93 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 1986 | 6.87 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1987 | 6.8 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1988 | 6.7 births per woman | -1.4% |
| 1989 | 6.63 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1990 | 6.57 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1991 | 6.46 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 1992 | 6.35 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 1993 | 6.3 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 6.26 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 6.23 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 6.18 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 6.12 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 6.07 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 6 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 5.92 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 5.85 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 5.77 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 5.71 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 5.7 births per woman | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 5.7 births per woman | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 5.68 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 5.61 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 5.53 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 5.45 births per woman | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 5.36 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 5.26 births per woman | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 5.14 births per woman | -2.3% |
| 2013 | 5.01 births per woman | -2.4% |
| 2014 | 4.89 births per woman | -2.5% |
| 2015 | 4.78 births per woman | -2.4% |
| 2016 | 4.67 births per woman | -2.2% |
| 2017 | 4.57 births per woman | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 4.49 births per woman | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 4.42 births per woman | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 4.32 births per woman | -2.2% |
| 2021 | 4.25 births per woman | -1.8% |
| 2022 | 4.17 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 2023 | 4.1 births per woman | -1.8% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 4.1 births per woman is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.15 births per woman, 1.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 4.1 births per woman is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4 births per woman, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 7.32 births per woman | 7.22 births per woman | 7.42 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.92 births per woman | 6.63 births per woman | 7.14 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.25 births per woman | 6 births per woman | 6.57 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.69 births per woman | 5.45 births per woman | 5.92 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.86 births per woman | 4.42 births per woman | 5.36 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.21 births per woman | 4.1 births per woman | 4.32 births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More population data for Zambia
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.5254 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.2495 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.5254 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.5112 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 37,460 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.52 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2967 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.516 (2100)
- Population density 86.73 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 4.60 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate, total in Zambia?
- Fertility rate, total in Zambia was 4.1 births per woman in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest fertility rate, total recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 7.42 births per woman in 1975.
- What is the lowest fertility rate, total recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.1 births per woman in 2023.
- How does Zambia rank for fertility rate, total?
- Zambia ranks 24th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate, total rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia 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