Fertility rate: births per woman in Belgium
Belgium: Fertility rate: births per woman was 1.38 live births per woman in 2023. ▼ Falling
Fertility rate: births per woman in Belgium, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in live births per woman.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fertility rate: births per woman in Belgium is 1.38 live births per woman, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is down 10.9% on the previous year and down 21.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate: births per woman in Belgium peaked at 2.7 live births per woman in 1964 and was at its lowest, 1.38 live births per woman, in 2023.
That places Belgium 196th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.4 live births per woman | 2.29 live births per woman | 2.56 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.53 live births per woman | 2.28 live births per woman | 2.7 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.9 live births per woman | 1.71 live births per woman | 2.25 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.58 live births per woman | 1.5 live births per woman | 1.69 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.61 live births per woman | 1.56 live births per woman | 1.66 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.74 live births per woman | 1.65 live births per woman | 1.85 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.71 live births per woman | 1.61 live births per woman | 1.85 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.52 live births per woman | 1.38 live births per woman | 1.6 live births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More reference data data for Belgium
- Number of child deaths per woman 0.0068 under-five deaths per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.38 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index 1.38 live births per woman (2023)
- Human Development Index 0.951 (2023)
- Rule of Law - Governance estimate 1.28 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Rule of Law - Governance score 79.04 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate 1.5 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance score 83.05 0-100 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance estimate 0.1215 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance score 67.97 0-100 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate: births per woman in Belgium?
- Fertility rate: births per woman in Belgium was 1.38 live births per woman in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertility rate: births per woman recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 2.7 live births per woman in 1964.
- What is the lowest fertility rate: births per woman recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.38 live births per woman in 2023.
- How does Belgium rank for fertility rate: births per woman?
- Belgium ranks 196th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate: births per woman rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility rate: births per woman. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The total fertility rate: the average number of children a woman would have if she experienced the year's age-specific birth rates throughout her childbearing years.