Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Eswatini
Eswatini: Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception was 2.72 births per woman in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
2.72 births per woman
Change on year
down 1.3%
World rank
64th
of 215 countries
All-time high
6.8 births per woman
in 1963
All-time low
2.72 births per woman
in 2024
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Eswatini, 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
The most recent figure for fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Eswatini is 2.72 births per woman, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.3% on the previous year and down 14.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Eswatini peaked at 6.8 births per woman in 1963 and was at its lowest, 2.72 births per woman, in 2024.
Eswatini ranks 64th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Eswatini, year by year
| Year | births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 6.75 births per woman | — |
| 1961 | 6.77 births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1962 | 6.79 births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1963 | 6.8 births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 6.79 births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1965 | 6.79 births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 6.8 births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1967 | 6.77 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 1968 | 6.76 births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1969 | 6.76 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 6.75 births per woman | -0.2% |
| 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% |
| 2024 | 2.72 births per woman | -1.3% |
Eswatini compared with similar countries
- Eswatini's 2.72 births per woman is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.12 births per woman, 87% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Eswatini's 2.72 births per woman is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.91 births per woman, 70% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.78 births per woman | 6.75 births per woman | 6.8 births per woman | 10 |
| 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 | 2.8 births per woman | 2.72 births per woman | 2.89 births per woman | 5 |
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)
- World population growth -0.7% (2100)
- Population density 77.96 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 74,031 people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.7% (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate 2.89 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Eswatini?
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Eswatini was 2.72 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 fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception recorded in Eswatini?
- The highest recorded value was 6.8 births per woman in 1963.
- What is the lowest fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception recorded in Eswatini?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.72 births per woman in 2024.
- How does Eswatini rank for fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception?
- Eswatini ranks 64th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception rising or falling in Eswatini?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Eswatini 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 Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The total fertility rate, in a given year. The unmet need for contraception shows the estimated share of married fertile women of reproductive age who do not want to become pregnant and are not using contraception.