South Korea’s birth rate is so low it now welcomes about as many newborns per 1,000 people as Niger sees in a single quarter.
How to Play: Guess if the country on the right has a HIGHER or LOWER birth rate than the one on the left.
Name A
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Top 10 Highest Birth Rate Countries
Crude birth rate is annual live births per 1,000 population. African countries dominate the top with rates over 35; East Asia, much of Europe, and parts of the Americas now sit below 10.
| # | Name | Births per 1,000 population | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Niger | 47 | per 1,000 |
| 2 | Angola | 45 | per 1,000 |
| 3 | DR Congo | 41 | per 1,000 |
| 4 | Mali | 41 | per 1,000 |
| 5 | Chad | 39 | per 1,000 |
| 6 | Nigeria | 38 | per 1,000 |
| 7 | Burkina Faso | 37 | per 1,000 |
| 8 | Tanzania | 36 | per 1,000 |
| 9 | Mozambique | 36 | per 1,000 |
| 10 | Uganda | 36 | per 1,000 |
How Birth Rate Is Tracked
Crude birth rate is a simple annual measure: live births per 1,000 population. It does not adjust for the age structure of the population, which matters because older countries (Italy, Japan) naturally have fewer women of childbearing age and thus fewer births overall.
South Korea’s rate of about 5 per 1,000 corresponds to a total fertility rate of 0.7 children per woman — the world’s lowest, well below the 2.1 ‘replacement’ rate. At this trajectory, the South Korean population could halve every 30 years if not for immigration.
Niger’s high rate combines very young population structure with cultural and economic factors — limited contraception access, early marriage, and household economics that favor large families. Niger’s population is projected to triple by 2050.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country has the lowest birth rate?
South Korea, at approximately 5 births per 1,000 population — total fertility rate ~0.7.
What is replacement-level fertility?
About 2.1 children per woman is needed to replace the population over generations. Most developed countries are well below this.
Why is South Korea's birth rate so low?
Multiple factors: high cost of housing and education, intense work culture, gender gap in childcare, and delayed marriage.
Are any developed countries reversing the trend?
France, Sweden, and a few others have stabilized rates around 1.7-1.8 through family-friendly policies, but no developed country has returned to replacement level.
Note: Crude birth rate per 1,000 population per UN 2024 estimates.
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