Replacement-level fertility rate in United States
United States: Replacement-level fertility rate was 2.08 in 2010. ▬ Flat
Replacement-level fertility rate in United States, 1950–2010
Source: Gietel-Basten and Scherbov (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
United States recorded 2.08 for replacement-level fertility rate in 2010. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, replacement-level fertility rate in United States peaked at 2.15 in 1950 and was at its lowest, 2.08, in 2000.
That places United States 148th out of 199 countries with data for 2010, putting it in the middle of the range.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.15 | 2.15 | 2.15 | 1 |
| 1960s | 2.13 | 2.13 | 2.13 | 1 |
| 1970s | 2.11 | 2.11 | 2.11 | 1 |
| 1980s | 2.09 | 2.09 | 2.09 | 1 |
| 1990s | 2.09 | 2.09 | 2.09 | 1 |
| 2000s | 2.08 | 2.08 | 2.08 | 1 |
| 2010s | 2.08 | 2.08 | 2.08 | 1 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 148 Australia 2.08 compare
- 148 Canada 2.08 compare
- 148 Croatia 2.08 compare
- 148 Cuba 2.08 compare
- 148 French Guiana 2.08 compare
- 148 French Polynesia 2.08 compare
- 148 Greece 2.08 compare
- 148 Hong Kong 2.08 compare
- 148 Hungary 2.08 compare
- 148 Italy 2.08 compare
- 148 Kuwait 2.08 compare
- 148 Lithuania 2.08 compare
- 148 New Zealand 2.08 compare
- 148 North Macedonia 2.08 compare
- 148 Poland 2.08 compare
- 148 Portugal 2.08 compare
- 148 Puerto Rico 2.08 compare
- 148 Serbia 2.08 compare
- 148 Spain 2.08 compare
More population data for United States
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.1% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 19.91 million people (2100)
- Population density 46.05 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth 0.1% (2100)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 1.63 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 435,333 people (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 1.63 births per woman (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 1.63 births per woman (2024)
- Natural population growth rate 0.2% (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.62 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is replacement-level fertility rate in United States?
- Replacement-level fertility rate in United States was 2.08 in 2010, according to Gietel-Basten and Scherbov (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest replacement-level fertility rate recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 2.15 in 1950.
- What is the lowest replacement-level fertility rate recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.08 in 2000.
- How does United States rank for replacement-level fertility rate?
- United States ranks 148th out of 199 countries with data for 2010.
- Is replacement-level fertility rate rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Gietel-Basten and Scherbov (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Replacement-level fertility rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The replacement-level fertility rate (the total fertility rate needed to keep the population size stable over time, without migration) is commonly stated to be 2.1. But the level can vary based on the sex ratio, child mortality rates, and other factors.