The global fertility rate is dropping. Meanwhile, Africa’s total fertility rate has remained the highest in the world over the past seven decades, even as it has dropped significantly. In 1955, Africa averaged 6.58 children per woman. By 2025, it is estimated to be 3.95 and considerably higher than any other continent. In comparison, every other region has fallen below 2.2 children per woman, with some, like Europe, far below that threshold.
The decline has been steepest in some regions. Latin America and Asia, which had fertility rates close to Africa’s in the 1950s and 1960s, have seen dramatic drops, converging with North America and Oceania around the 2.0 mark in recent decades. Europe, which started low, is now at just 1.41.
