Fertility vs unmet contraception in China

China: Fertility vs unmet contraception was 1.01 in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
1.01
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
208th
of 215 countries
All-time high
7.51
in 1963
All-time low
0.999
in 2023
Years of data
65
1960–2024

Fertility vs unmet contraception in China, 1960–2024

02468196019922024

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for fertility vs unmet contraception in China is 1.01, measured in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% on the previous year and down 42.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, fertility vs unmet contraception in China peaked at 7.51 in 1963 and was at its lowest, 0.999, in 2023.

That places China 208th out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Fertility vs unmet contraception in China, year by year

Annual values for Fertility vs unmet contraception in China, 1960 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1960 4.45 —
1961 3.86 -13.2%
1962 6.08 +57.5%
1963 7.51 +23.5%
1964 6.67 -11.2%
1965 6.61 -1.0%
1966 6.31 -4.5%
1967 5.81 -7.9%
1968 6.51 +12.1%
1969 6.17 -5.1%
1970 6.08 -1.5%
1971 5.52 -9.2%
1972 5.11 -7.4%
1973 4.73 -7.6%
1974 4.17 -11.8%
1975 3.57 -14.4%
1976 3.23 -9.4%
1977 2.84 -12.1%
1978 2.72 -4.5%
1979 2.75 +1.1%
1980 2.74 -0.2%
1981 2.79 +1.9%
1982 2.97 +6.4%
1983 2.56 -13.9%
1984 2.61 +1.9%
1985 2.63 +1.0%
1986 2.72 +3.3%
1987 2.76 +1.4%
1988 2.54 -8.0%
1989 2.52 -0.7%
1990 2.51 -0.2%
1991 1.93 -23.1%
1992 1.78 -8.2%
1993 1.69 -4.8%
1994 1.63 -3.7%
1995 1.59 -2.5%
1996 1.55 -2.1%
1997 1.53 -1.7%
1998 1.52 -0.3%
1999 1.53 +0.5%
2000 1.63 +6.4%
2001 1.56 -4.0%
2002 1.57 +0.2%
2003 1.57 +0.3%
2004 1.6 +2.2%
2005 1.62 +1.2%
2006 1.64 +1.2%
2007 1.67 +1.3%
2008 1.7 +2.1%
2009 1.71 +0.8%
2010 1.69 -1.6%
2011 1.67 -1.1%
2012 1.8 +7.8%
2013 1.71 -4.7%
2014 1.77 +3.2%
2015 1.67 -5.6%
2016 1.77 +6.1%
2017 1.79 +1.3%
2018 1.54 -14.3%
2019 1.5 -2.8%
2020 1.24 -17.4%
2021 1.12 -9.6%
2022 1.03 -7.4%
2023 0.999 -3.4%
2024 1.01 +1.4%

China compared with similar countries

  • China's 1.01 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.8, 56% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
  • China's 1.01 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.12, 48% of the median. (37 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Fertility vs unmet contraception in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1962 +57.5% 3.86 6.08

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 6 3.86 7.51 10
1970s 4.07 2.72 6.08 10
1980s 2.68 2.52 2.97 10
1990s 1.73 1.52 2.51 10
2000s 1.63 1.56 1.71 10
2010s 1.69 1.5 1.8 10
2020s 1.08 0.999 1.24 5

Countries ranked near China

  1. 205 Spain 1.1 compare
  2. 206 Andorra 1.09 compare
  3. 207 British Virgin Islands 1.05 compare
  4. 209 Malta 1.01 compare
  5. 210 Ukraine 0.988 compare
  6. 211 Singapore 0.97 compare

See the full ranking of 215 places →

More population data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is fertility vs unmet contraception in China?
Fertility vs unmet contraception in China was 1.01 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest fertility vs unmet contraception recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 7.51 in 1963.
What is the lowest fertility vs unmet contraception recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 0.999 in 2023.
How does China rank for fertility vs unmet contraception?
China ranks 208th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
Is fertility vs unmet contraception rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 42.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility vs unmet contraception. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Fertility vs unmet contraception in China. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 11 November 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/fertility-vs-unmet-contraception/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Fertility vs unmet contraception
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
215 places, 13,943 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed