Birth rate
Birth rate is the total number of live human births per 1,000 people for a given period divided by the length of the period in years.[1] The number of live births is normally taken from a registration system for births. The number of people comes from a census. There may also be some estimates. The birth rate (with the mortality and migration rates) is used to calculate population growth. The estimated average population may be taken as the mid-year population.[2][3]
When the crude death rate is subtracted from the crude birth rate, the result is the rate of population change (excluding migration).[4]
The total crude birth rate (CBR) includes all births. There is also a set of age-specific rates. This is the number of births per 1,000 women, in each age group.[5]
The first known use of the term "birth rate" in English was in 1856.[6]
| Years | CBR | Years | CBR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950–1955 | 36.9 | 2000–2005 | 21.0 |
| 1955–1960 | 35.4 | 2005–2010 | 20.3 |
| 1960–1965 | 35.2 | 2010–2015 | 19.5 |
| 1965–1970 | 34.0 | 2015–2020 | 18.5 |
| 1970–1975 | 31.4 | 2020–2025 | 17.5 |
| 1975–1980 | 28.5 | 2025–2030 | 16.6 |
| 1980–1985 | 27.7 | 2030–2035 | 16.0 |
| 1985–1990 | 27.4 | 2035–2040 | 15.5 |
| 1990–1995 | 24.2 | 2040–2045 | 15.0 |
| 1995–2000 | 22.2 | 2045–2050 | 14.6 |
The average global birth rate was 18.1 births per 1,000 total population in 2021.[8] The death rate was 7.7 per 1,000. The rate of population change was thus 1.6%. In 2012, the average global birth rate was 19.611 according to the World Bank[9] and 19.15 births per 1,000 total population according to the CIA.[10] It was 20.09 per 1,000 total population in 2007.[11]
Brth rates declined from 1.85 to 1.53 per woman between 1980 and 2019 in the world’s most developed countries.[12]
The 2021 average of 18.1 births per 1,000 total population is about 4.3 births per second or about 259 births per minute for the world.[8]
