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Fertility & birth rates in Belgium and Zambia

Updated on by Georank team

Belgium has an annual birth rate of 9.4 births per 1,000 people, compared to 33.1 for Zambia. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 1.47 in Belgium and 4.1 in Zambia — 179% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -42.1% in Belgium and by -41% in Zambia — in 1960, it was 2.54 and 6.95, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • Belgium is ranked 155/196 by birth rate compared to 19/196 for Zambia.
  • The mean age for first-time mothers is 29.5 years in Belgium, compared to 19.2 years in Zambia.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 31.2 in Belgium — it's 28.4 in Zambia.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 3.67 in Belgium vs 115.9 in Zambia.
  • In Belgium, 21.5% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 25.3% in Zambia.
  • Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was +0% in Belgium and +2.79% in Zambia.

Birth rate data compared

Belgium Zambia
Fertility rate 1.47 4.1
Birth rate 9.4 33.1
Birth rate rank 155/196 19/196
Age at first childbirth 29.5 years 19.2 years
Average age at childbearing 31.2 years 28.4 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 3.39 115
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 55.9 175.9
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 15.4 65.3
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 21.5% 25.3%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 65.4% 47.5%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 99.3% 80.4%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.004% 0.09%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 0.21% 2.2%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 0.3% 3.09%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 0.36% 4.47%
Population change due to births and deaths +0 +577,660
Natural population change rank 157/196 34/196
Natural population change rate +0% +2.79%
Population growth +0.76% +2.85%
Population growth rank 119/197 22/197
Life expectancy 82.4 years 66.7 years

Fertility rate in Belgium vs Zambia chart

According to the latest available data on birth rates, the fertility rate in Belgium was 1.47 children per woman in 2023, compared to 4.1 in Zambia in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.

Check Belgium vs Zambia population clock for a dynamic visualization of the changing population.

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

Belgium
Factual

UN forecast
Zambia
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
Belgium Zambia
1960 2.54 6.95
1961 2.63 6.98
1962 2.59 7.01
1963 2.68 7.06
1964 2.71 7.09
1965 2.61 7.12
1966 2.52 7.14
1967 2.41 7.15
1968 2.31 7.18
1969 2.27 7.18
1970 2.25 7.22
1971 2.21 7.26
1972 2.09 7.3
1973 1.95 7.34
1974 1.83 7.36
1975 1.74 7.42
1976 1.73 7.39
1977 1.71 7.35
1978 1.69 7.29
1979 1.69 7.22
1980 1.68 7.14
1981 1.66 7.07
1982 1.61 7.04
1983 1.57 7.01
1984 1.54 6.97
1985 1.51 6.93
1986 1.54 6.87
1987 1.54 6.8
1988 1.57 6.7
1989 1.58 6.64
1990 1.62 6.57
1991 1.66 6.46
1992 1.65 6.35
1993 1.61 6.3
1994 1.56 6.26
1995 1.56 6.23
1996 1.59 6.18
1997 1.6 6.12
1998 1.6 6.07
1999 1.62 6
2000 1.67 5.92
2001 1.67 5.85
2002 1.65 5.77
2003 1.67 5.71
2004 1.72 5.7
2005 1.76 5.7
2006 1.8 5.68
2007 1.82 5.61
2008 1.85 5.53
2009 1.84 5.45
2010 1.86 5.36
2011 1.81 5.26
2012 1.8 5.14
2013 1.76 5.01
2014 1.74 4.89
2015 1.7 4.78
2016 1.68 4.67
2017 1.65 4.57
2018 1.62 4.49
2019 1.6 4.42
2020 1.55 4.32
2021 1.6 4.25
2022 1.53 4.18
2023 1.47 4.1
2024 1.47 4.04
2025 1.48 3.97
2026 1.49 3.91
2027 1.49 3.85
2028 1.5 3.77
2029 1.51 3.72
2030 1.51 3.67
2031 1.52 3.61
2032 1.52 3.56
2033 1.53 3.5
2034 1.53 3.45
2035 1.54 3.4
2036 1.54 3.35
2037 1.54 3.3
2038 1.55 3.25
2039 1.55 3.19
2040 1.56 3.15
2041 1.56 3.11
2042 1.56 3.07
2043 1.57 3.03
2044 1.57 3
2045 1.57 2.96
2046 1.57 2.93
2047 1.58 2.9
2048 1.58 2.87
2049 1.59 2.84
2050 1.59 2.81

Children 0-14 years as share of population

Belgium
Factual

UN forecast
Zambia
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
Belgium Zambia
1960 23.7% 46%
1961 23.8% 46.2%
1962 23.8% 46.3%
1963 23.9% 46.5%
1964 23.9% 46.7%
1965 24% 46.9%
1966 24% 46.9%
1967 23.9% 47%
1968 23.9% 47.1%
1969 23.8% 47.2%
1970 23.6% 47.4%
1971 23.5% 47.7%
1972 23.3% 48%
1973 23% 48.3%
1974 22.6% 48.6%
1975 22.2% 48.8%
1976 21.8% 49.1%
1977 21.4% 49.2%
1978 21% 49.4%
1979 20.6% 49.5%
1980 20.3% 49.5%
1981 19.9% 49.4%
1982 19.6% 49.3%
1983 19.4% 49.1%
1984 19.1% 49%
1985 18.8% 48.9%
1986 18.6% 48.8%
1987 18.3% 48.7%
1988 18.2% 48.6%
1989 18.1% 48.5%
1990 18.1% 48.4%
1991 18.2% 48.3%
1992 18.2% 48.2%
1993 18.1% 48.2%
1994 18.1% 48.2%
1995 18% 48.2%
1996 17.9% 48.2%
1997 17.8% 48.2%
1998 17.7% 48.2%
1999 17.7% 48.1%
2000 17.6% 48%
2001 17.5% 47.8%
2002 17.5% 47.6%
2003 17.3% 47.4%
2004 17.2% 47.3%
2005 17.1% 47.1%
2006 17% 47%
2007 16.9% 46.8%
2008 16.9% 46.6%
2009 16.9% 46.4%
2010 16.9% 46.3%
2011 17% 46.1%
2012 17% 45.9%
2013 17% 45.7%
2014 17% 45.5%
2015 17% 45.2%
2016 17% 44.9%
2017 17% 44.5%
2018 16.9% 44.1%
2019 16.9% 43.8%
2020 16.8% 43.3%
2021 16.7% 42.9%
2022 16.5% 42.4%
2023 16.3% 42%
2024 16% 41.5%
2025 15.7% 41%
2026 15.4% 40.5%
2027 15.1% 40%
2028 14.9% 39.6%
2029 14.6% 39.2%
2030 14.4% 38.8%
2031 14.2% 38.5%
2032 14% 38.1%
2033 13.8% 37.8%
2034 13.6% 37.5%
2035 13.5% 37.1%
2036 13.4% 36.8%
2037 13.3% 36.5%
2038 13.3% 36.1%
2039 13.3% 35.8%
2040 13.4% 35.4%
2041 13.4% 35.1%
2042 13.5% 34.7%
2043 13.5% 34.4%
2044 13.6% 34%
2045 13.7% 33.7%
2046 13.8% 33.3%
2047 13.8% 33%
2048 13.9% 32.6%
2049 13.9% 32.3%
2050 13.9% 32%

Children aged 0-14 make up 16% of the population in Belgium and 41.5% in Zambia in 2024, compared to 18.1% and 48.4% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of Belgium and Zambia compared.

Natural population change in Belgium vs Zambia by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +0.06% in Belgium and +2.87% in Zambia. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

Belgium
Zambia

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
Belgium Zambia
1960 40,275 102,335
1961 52,349 106,318
1962 42,414 110,173
1963 41,804 114,555
1964 51,580 117,197
1965 39,748 122,814
1966 36,206 127,164
1967 31,618 131,938
1968 20,199 137,315
1969 21,221 142,660
1970 23,173 149,380
1971 21,281 155,249
1972 18,451 161,648
1973 11,690 168,258
1974 7,818 174,484
1975 0 182,258
1976 1,964 186,762
1977 8,847 191,557
1978 7,872 194,933
1979 11,818 197,578
1980 10,845 198,817
1981 11,831 202,822
1982 7,885 207,621
1983 2,956 212,712
1984 4,927 216,695
1985 2,958 221,351
1986 5,917 224,768
1987 11,844 227,813
1988 14,853 230,118
1989 13,912 233,429
1990 19,935 235,835
1991 22,010 237,957
1992 20,090 239,953
1993 14,118 245,917
1994 12,139 252,023
1995 11,150 257,897
1996 12,188 262,468
1997 12,218 268,198
1998 9,183 275,568
1999 9,203 283,297
2000 12,302 293,186
2001 11,315 302,682
2002 7,233 316,041
2003 7,263 331,189
2004 16,673 349,352
2005 15,718 368,756
2006 21,096 387,891
2007 23,376 403,729
2008 22,491 419,560
2009 23,752 434,458
2010 23,970 448,337
2011 25,388 459,743
2012 18,882 469,406
2013 16,739 476,846
2014 21,297 483,663
2015 11,274 491,021
2016 14,731 497,521
2017 10,238 504,630
2018 7,999 515,644
2019 8,042 528,089
2020 -12,692 536,484
2021 5,793 535,629
2022 -2,336 563,456
2023 0 577,660

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: Belgium vs Zambia

The maternal mortality rate, which is the probability of dying during childbirth or within 42 days of pregnancy termination, is 4 deaths per 100,000 live births in Belgium, compared to 85 deaths in Zambia.

Belgium
Zambia
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
Belgium Zambia
1985 9 596
1986 9 619
1987 9 630
1988 9 635
1989 9 635
1990 9 625
1991 9 611
1992 9 581
1993 9 532
1994 9 507
1995 9 466
1996 9 433
1997 8 403
1998 8 392
1999 8 378
2000 8 340
2001 8 306
2002 7 274
2003 7 250
2004 7 260
2005 7 264
2006 6 262
2007 7 324
2008 6 394
2009 6 406
2010 6 332
2011 6 291
2012 5 256
2013 6 213
2014 5 174
2015 5 154
2016 5 158
2017 5 141
2018 5 117
2019 4 103
2020 4 99
2021 7 140
2022 11 89
2023 4 85

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 0.36% in Belgium and 4.47% in Zambia. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

Belgium
Zambia

Probability that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five

Year Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births
Belgium Zambia
1960 3.39% 20.5%
1961 3.25% 20.1%
1962 3.12% 19.8%
1963 3% 19.5%
1964 2.89% 19.2%
1965 2.79% 19%
1966 2.7% 18.9%
1967 2.62% 18.7%
1968 2.55% 18.5%
1969 2.48% 18.3%
1970 2.39% 17.9%
1971 2.3% 17.4%
1972 2.19% 16.9%
1973 2.08% 16.3%
1974 1.97% 15.9%
1975 1.86% 15.5%
1976 1.76% 15.4%
1977 1.67% 15.3%
1978 1.59% 15.3%
1979 1.52% 15.4%
1980 1.45% 15.5%
1981 1.39% 15.6%
1982 1.33% 15.7%
1983 1.27% 15.9%
1984 1.22% 16.2%
1985 1.18% 16.6%
1986 1.14% 17%
1987 1.1% 17.3%
1988 1.07% 17.7%
1989 1.03% 17.9%
1990 1% 18.1%
1991 0.96% 18.1%
1992 0.92% 18.1%
1993 0.87% 17.9%
1994 0.82% 17.7%
1995 0.77% 17.3%
1996 0.72% 17%
1997 0.67% 16.7%
1998 0.64% 16.3%
1999 0.61% 15.9%
2000 0.59% 15.3%
2001 0.57% 14.4%
2002 0.55% 13.4%
2003 0.53% 12.4%
2004 0.52% 11.4%
2005 0.5% 10.5%
2006 0.49% 9.71%
2007 0.48% 9.14%
2008 0.47% 8.62%
2009 0.46% 8%
2010 0.45% 7.57%
2011 0.44% 7.31%
2012 0.43% 7.04%
2013 0.42% 6.72%
2014 0.42% 6.38%
2015 0.41% 6.15%
2016 0.41% 5.9%
2017 0.4% 5.61%
2018 0.4% 5.52%
2019 0.39% 5.41%
2020 0.39% 5.24%
2021 0.38% 4.92%
2022 0.37% 4.67%
2023 0.36% 4.47%

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs Belgium vs Zambia
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