Total Fertility Rate in South Africa
South Africa: Total Fertility Rate was 2.34 in 2022. ▼ Falling
Latest (2022)
2.34
Change on year
down 1.4%
World rank
83rd
of 197 countries
All-time high
6.16
in 1960
All-time low
2.26
in 2016
Years of data
63
1960–2022
Total Fertility Rate in South Africa, 1960–2022
Source: International Monetary Fund.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 2.34 for total fertility rate in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 4.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total fertility rate in South Africa peaked at 6.16 in 1960 and was at its lowest, 2.26, in 2016.
That places South Africa 83rd out of 197 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Total Fertility Rate in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 6.16 | — |
| 1961 | 6.14 | -0.3% |
| 1962 | 6.11 | -0.5% |
| 1963 | 6.08 | -0.5% |
| 1964 | 6.03 | -0.8% |
| 1965 | 5.97 | -1.0% |
| 1966 | 5.91 | -1.0% |
| 1967 | 5.85 | -0.9% |
| 1968 | 5.78 | -1.2% |
| 1969 | 5.72 | -1.1% |
| 1970 | 5.63 | -1.5% |
| 1971 | 5.57 | -1.2% |
| 1972 | 5.49 | -1.4% |
| 1973 | 5.41 | -1.4% |
| 1974 | 5.3 | -2.1% |
| 1975 | 5.19 | -2.0% |
| 1976 | 5.07 | -2.3% |
| 1977 | 4.94 | -2.5% |
| 1978 | 4.85 | -1.8% |
| 1979 | 4.82 | -0.7% |
| 1980 | 4.78 | -0.8% |
| 1981 | 4.71 | -1.4% |
| 1982 | 4.7 | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 4.63 | -1.5% |
| 1984 | 4.57 | -1.3% |
| 1985 | 4.5 | -1.6% |
| 1986 | 4.41 | -1.9% |
| 1987 | 4.35 | -1.3% |
| 1988 | 4.18 | -4.0% |
| 1989 | 3.98 | -4.7% |
| 1990 | 3.72 | -6.5% |
| 1991 | 3.62 | -2.8% |
| 1992 | 3.48 | -3.8% |
| 1993 | 3.37 | -3.1% |
| 1994 | 3.26 | -3.4% |
| 1995 | 3.17 | -2.6% |
| 1996 | 2.99 | -5.7% |
| 1997 | 2.73 | -8.6% |
| 1998 | 2.63 | -3.8% |
| 1999 | 2.56 | -2.7% |
| 2000 | 2.41 | -5.7% |
| 2001 | 2.37 | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 2.32 | -2.1% |
| 2003 | 2.36 | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 2.44 | +3.3% |
| 2005 | 2.51 | +3.1% |
| 2006 | 2.55 | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 2.54 | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 2.68 | +5.3% |
| 2009 | 2.5 | -6.6% |
| 2010 | 2.44 | -2.2% |
| 2011 | 2.44 | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 2.45 | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 2.43 | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 2.42 | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 2.36 | -2.7% |
| 2016 | 2.26 | -4.2% |
| 2017 | 2.33 | +3.2% |
| 2018 | 2.42 | +3.6% |
| 2019 | 2.48 | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 2.4 | -3.0% |
| 2021 | 2.37 | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 2.34 | -1.4% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 2.34 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.97, 1.2× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 2.34 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.17, 56% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.97 | 5.72 | 6.16 | 10 |
| 1970s | 5.23 | 4.82 | 5.63 | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.48 | 3.98 | 4.78 | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.15 | 2.56 | 3.72 | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.47 | 2.32 | 2.68 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.4 | 2.26 | 2.48 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.37 | 2.34 | 2.4 | 3 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More gender data for South Africa
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 17,151 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.6591 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 51,011 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 51,011 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.07 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 570,099 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 589,533 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 570,599 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 589,626 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 569,634 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total fertility rate in South Africa?
- Total fertility rate in South Africa was 2.34 in 2022, according to International Monetary Fund.
- What is the highest total fertility rate recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 6.16 in 1960.
- What is the lowest total fertility rate recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.26 in 2016.
- How does South Africa rank for total fertility rate?
- South Africa ranks 83rd out of 197 countries with data for 2022.
- Is total fertility rate rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund, published as part of Total Fertility Rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Gender-disaggregated data on health outcomes.