The birth rate of a country is one of the factors that determine the welfare of its people. Furthermore, the birth rate is often associated with the fertility rate.
This will track the average number of children born to women in a country. Various factors can contribute to high fertility rates, or the high number of children born per woman.
The following are five countries that have the highest and lowest fertility rates in the world, summarized from data from the World Population Review, The World Factbook, and UN data, as reported by The Facts Institute.
5 Countries with the Highest Fertility Rates
Nigeria
Niger is one of the largest countries in Africa and its population is growing. In 2019, Niger had one of the highest fertility rates in the world with an average of 6.8 births per woman.
Culturally, child marriage is a major factor in Niger. The United Nations reports that Niger has the world's highest prevalence rate of child marriage according to UNICEF, with 76% of girls marrying before the age of 18 and 28% marrying before they are 15. This culture causes girls to leave school early to marry and start a family.
Angola
According to The World Factbook, Angola currently has the second highest fertility rate in the world with 5.8 children born per woman.
Angola suffered from the war. The country's infrastructure has become unstable to support its population. This country also lacks access to public health information, especially on issues such as contraception and family planning, and has resulted in high maternal and child mortality rates.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
In Congo the average birth rate is 5.6 births per woman. Belief in myths, misconceptions, and access issues around contraception, prevents women from accessing them or facing stigma and harsh criticism if they do.
Mali
Mali is also beset by factors such as poverty, low levels of contraceptive use and a lack of sexual health education. These factors combined lead to a high fertility rate of 5.5 children born per woman.
Chad
Civil unrest and political instability lead to a lack of investment in and access to public and sexual health in Chad. These factors have left the country's population largely ignorant on the topic and resulted in high fertility rates. The World Factbook estimates that 5.5 children are born per woman in Chad.
5 Countries with the Lowest Fertility Rates
On the other end of the spectrum, there are certain countries, territories and areas of the world that have very low fertility rates. The following five places have the lowest fertility rates, according to data reported in the World Population Review.
South Korea
Economic factors, exorbitant housing costs and high living costs, lead to low birth rates in South Korea. It's hard to think about adding another member to the family when they have to work so hard to support the family.
Lack of job opportunities and income inequality are also contributing factors. Life in South Korea is also steeped in tradition, and the idea of a single mother is not as well received as it is in other countries.
These factors combined are causing many people in South Korea to reevaluate their plans to have children or choose not to have children at all. The World Population Review notes that South Korea's fertility rate is 0.9 births per woman.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican youths are moving to the United States (US) in droves. Disasters due to destructive weather, lack of job opportunities, and migration to the US mainland are all factors that cause young people to leave the country and choose not to grow and develop there. According to the World Population Review, the region has a fertility rate of 1.0.
Hong Kong
The pandemic changed things around the world. In Hong Kong, the government's response to the virus has been strict with an all-encompassing lockdown policy. In response to this, many young people decided to leave the country.
Also due to the pandemic, financial difficulties and the recession situation have caused people to postpone marriage or forget the option of having common children. These factors likely contributed to the region's low fertility rate of 1.1.
Malta
Just like Hong Kong, this country also recorded a fertility rate of only 1.1 according to the World Population Review. Malta is a small European country which is currently experiencing a massive displacement of its young people away in search of better jobs and greater opportunities.
Those who choose to stay must grapple with traditional gender roles and have little parental support when it comes to maternity or paternity leave at work. These factors contribute to the country's low fertility rate.
Singapore
Finally, still with a fertility rate score of only 1.1 according to the World Population Review, Singapore is often synonymous with fast-paced growth and lifestyle. On the other hand, these factors lead to low fertility rates in the Lion Country.
Employers in Singapore prefer to avoid implementing family-first or family-friendly policies to meet workplace demands. The pandemic has also caused young Singaporeans to reconsider plans for marriage and family planning due to higher costs of living and inflation.