A UN report reveals that Chad and Somalia have the world's highest fertility rates, while Macao and Hong Kong record the lowest.
According to data from the United Nations' World Population Prospects 2024 Revision, the global fertility rate fell from five children per woman in the 1960s to 2.1 in 2024. This means that nearly 71% of countries worldwide are below the population replacement level.
Chad tops the list with 5.94 children per woman, followed by Somalia at 5.91 and the Democratic Republic of the Congo at 5.90. At the other end, Macao records the lowest rate at 0.69 children per woman, followed by Hong Kong at 0.74 and South Korea at 0.75.
Colombia has a fertility rate of 1.6 children per woman, below the replacement level. The report also notes that China has a rate of 1.02 children per woman.
