Fertility rate: births per woman in China
China: Fertility rate: births per woman was 0.999 live births per woman in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Fertility rate: births per woman in China, 1950–2023
Source: Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in live births per woman.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fertility rate: births per woman in China is 0.999 live births per woman, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3.4% on the previous year and down 41.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate: births per woman in China peaked at 7.51 live births per woman in 1963 and was at its lowest, 0.999 live births per woman, in 2023.
That places China 228th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 5.93 live births per woman | 4.72 live births per woman | 6.47 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1960s | 6 live births per woman | 3.86 live births per woman | 7.51 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 4.07 live births per woman | 2.72 live births per woman | 6.08 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.68 live births per woman | 2.52 live births per woman | 2.97 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.73 live births per woman | 1.52 live births per woman | 2.51 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.63 live births per woman | 1.56 live births per woman | 1.71 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.69 live births per woman | 1.5 live births per woman | 1.8 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.1 live births per woman | 0.999 live births per woman | 1.24 live births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
- 225 Curacao 1.07 live births per woman compare
- 226 British Virgin Islands 1.04 live births per woman compare
- 227 Vatican 1 live births per woman compare
- 229 Ukraine 0.977 live births per woman compare
- 230 Singapore 0.943 live births per woman compare
- 231 Puerto Rico 0.941 live births per woman compare
More reference data data for China
- Number of child deaths per woman 0.0096 under-five deaths per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 0.999 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index 0.999 live births per woman (2023)
- Human Development Index 0.797 (2023)
- Rule of Law - Governance estimate -0.5793 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Rule of Law - Governance score 46.99 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance score 27.91 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate -1.65 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance score 63.28 0-100 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance estimate -0.1533 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate: births per woman in China?
- Fertility rate: births per woman in China was 0.999 live births per woman in 2023, according to Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertility rate: births per woman recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 7.51 live births per woman in 1963.
- What is the lowest fertility rate: births per woman recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.999 live births per woman in 2023.
- How does China rank for fertility rate: births per woman?
- China ranks 228th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate: births per woman rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 41.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility rate: births per woman. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The average number of live births a hypothetical cohort of women would have at the end of their reproductive period if they were subject during their whole lives to the fertility rates of a given period and if they were not subject to mortality.