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Fertility & birth rates in Bhutan and Zambia

Updated on by Georank team

Bhutan has an annual birth rate of 12.7 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 1.46 in Bhutan and 4.1 in Zambia — 180.5% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -78.2% in Bhutan and by -41% in Zambia — in 1960, it was 6.7 and 6.95, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • Bhutan is ranked 110/196 by birth rate compared to 19/196 for Zambia.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 30.1 in Bhutan — it's 28.4 in Zambia.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 9.36 in Bhutan vs 115.9 in Zambia.
  • In Bhutan, 27.7% 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 +0.66% in Bhutan and +2.79% in Zambia.

Birth rate data compared

Bhutan Zambia
Fertility rate 1.46 4.1
Birth rate 12.7 33.1
Birth rate rank 110/196 19/196
Age at first childbirth n/a 19.2 years
Average age at childbearing 30.1 years 28.4 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 8.01 115
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 70.5 175.9
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 24.5 65.3
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 27.7% 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 98.9% 80.4%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.05% 0.09%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 1.27% 2.2%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 1.85% 3.09%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 2.31% 4.47%
Population change due to births and deaths +5,153 +577,660
Natural population change rank 128/196 34/196
Natural population change rate +0.66% +2.79%
Population growth +0.65% +2.85%
Population growth rank 123/197 22/197
Life expectancy 73.5 years 66.7 years

Fertility rate in Bhutan vs Zambia chart

According to the latest available data on birth rates, the fertility rate in Bhutan was 1.46 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 Bhutan vs Zambia population clock for a dynamic visualization of the changing population.

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

Bhutan
Factual

UN forecast
Zambia
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
Bhutan Zambia
1960 6.7 6.95
1961 6.7 6.98
1962 6.69 7.01
1963 6.69 7.06
1964 6.68 7.09
1965 6.68 7.12
1966 6.67 7.14
1967 6.67 7.15
1968 6.66 7.18
1969 6.66 7.18
1970 6.65 7.22
1971 6.64 7.26
1972 6.64 7.3
1973 6.63 7.34
1974 6.62 7.36
1975 6.62 7.42
1976 6.62 7.39
1977 6.61 7.35
1978 6.58 7.29
1979 6.55 7.22
1980 6.51 7.14
1981 6.46 7.07
1982 6.4 7.04
1983 6.34 7.01
1984 6.26 6.97
1985 6.18 6.93
1986 6.1 6.87
1987 6 6.8
1988 5.88 6.7
1989 5.76 6.64
1990 5.6 6.57
1991 5.45 6.46
1992 5.27 6.35
1993 5.07 6.3
1994 4.87 6.26
1995 4.62 6.23
1996 4.37 6.18
1997 4.09 6.12
1998 3.85 6.07
1999 3.61 6
2000 3.38 5.92
2001 3.19 5.85
2002 3.01 5.77
2003 2.87 5.71
2004 2.78 5.7
2005 2.73 5.7
2006 2.66 5.68
2007 2.59 5.61
2008 2.48 5.53
2009 2.36 5.45
2010 2.25 5.36
2011 2.15 5.26
2012 2.07 5.14
2013 2 5.01
2014 1.92 4.89
2015 1.84 4.78
2016 1.74 4.67
2017 1.62 4.57
2018 1.52 4.49
2019 1.45 4.42
2020 1.5 4.32
2021 1.49 4.25
2022 1.48 4.18
2023 1.46 4.1
2024 1.45 4.04
2025 1.44 3.97
2026 1.43 3.91
2027 1.42 3.85
2028 1.42 3.77
2029 1.42 3.72
2030 1.42 3.67
2031 1.42 3.61
2032 1.42 3.56
2033 1.42 3.5
2034 1.42 3.45
2035 1.42 3.4
2036 1.43 3.35
2037 1.43 3.3
2038 1.43 3.25
2039 1.43 3.19
2040 1.43 3.15
2041 1.44 3.11
2042 1.44 3.07
2043 1.44 3.03
2044 1.44 3
2045 1.44 2.96
2046 1.45 2.93
2047 1.45 2.9
2048 1.45 2.87
2049 1.46 2.84
2050 1.46 2.81

Children 0-14 years as share of population

Bhutan
Factual

UN forecast
Zambia
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
Bhutan Zambia
1960 42.3% 46%
1961 42.1% 46.2%
1962 41.9% 46.3%
1963 41.8% 46.5%
1964 41.8% 46.7%
1965 41.7% 46.9%
1966 41.7% 46.9%
1967 41.7% 47%
1968 41.8% 47.1%
1969 41.8% 47.2%
1970 41.8% 47.4%
1971 41.9% 47.7%
1972 42% 48%
1973 42.1% 48.3%
1974 42.2% 48.6%
1975 42.3% 48.8%
1976 42.4% 49.1%
1977 42.5% 49.2%
1978 42.6% 49.4%
1979 42.7% 49.5%
1980 42.8% 49.5%
1981 42.9% 49.4%
1982 43% 49.3%
1983 43.1% 49.1%
1984 43.1% 49%
1985 43.1% 48.9%
1986 43.1% 48.8%
1987 43.1% 48.7%
1988 43% 48.6%
1989 43% 48.5%
1990 42.9% 48.4%
1991 42.8% 48.3%
1992 42.6% 48.2%
1993 42.4% 48.2%
1994 42.1% 48.2%
1995 41.7% 48.2%
1996 41.3% 48.2%
1997 40.7% 48.2%
1998 40.1% 48.2%
1999 39.4% 48.1%
2000 38.6% 48%
2001 37.7% 47.8%
2002 36.6% 47.6%
2003 35.5% 47.4%
2004 34.3% 47.3%
2005 33.2% 47.1%
2006 32.4% 47%
2007 31.6% 46.8%
2008 30.8% 46.6%
2009 30.1% 46.4%
2010 29.4% 46.3%
2011 28.8% 46.1%
2012 28.3% 45.9%
2013 27.8% 45.7%
2014 27.4% 45.5%
2015 27% 45.2%
2016 26.5% 44.9%
2017 25.8% 44.5%
2018 25% 44.1%
2019 24.2% 43.8%
2020 23.4% 43.3%
2021 22.7% 42.9%
2022 22% 42.4%
2023 21.5% 42%
2024 20.9% 41.5%
2025 20.4% 41%
2026 19.8% 40.5%
2027 19.3% 40%
2028 18.7% 39.6%
2029 18.3% 39.2%
2030 17.9% 38.8%
2031 17.6% 38.5%
2032 17.4% 38.1%
2033 17.2% 37.8%
2034 17.1% 37.5%
2035 17% 37.1%
2036 16.9% 36.8%
2037 16.8% 36.5%
2038 16.6% 36.1%
2039 16.5% 35.8%
2040 16.3% 35.4%
2041 16.2% 35.1%
2042 16% 34.7%
2043 15.9% 34.4%
2044 15.7% 34%
2045 15.6% 33.7%
2046 15.4% 33.3%
2047 15.2% 33%
2048 15% 32.6%
2049 14.8% 32.3%
2050 14.6% 32%

Children aged 0-14 make up 20.9% of the population in Bhutan and 41.5% in Zambia in 2024, compared to 42.9% and 48.4% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of Bhutan and Zambia compared.

Natural population change in Bhutan vs Zambia by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +0.74% in Bhutan and +2.87% in Zambia. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

Bhutan
Zambia

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
Bhutan Zambia
1960 4,888 102,335
1961 5,081 106,318
1962 5,297 110,173
1963 5,551 114,555
1964 5,818 117,197
1965 6,109 122,814
1966 6,418 127,164
1967 6,744 131,938
1968 7,085 137,315
1969 7,435 142,660
1970 7,791 149,380
1971 8,161 155,249
1972 8,549 161,648
1973 8,939 168,258
1974 9,324 174,484
1975 9,775 182,258
1976 10,228 186,762
1977 10,679 191,557
1978 11,133 194,933
1979 11,583 197,578
1980 12,016 198,817
1981 12,444 202,822
1982 12,872 207,621
1983 13,284 212,712
1984 13,688 216,695
1985 14,061 221,351
1986 14,516 224,768
1987 14,887 227,813
1988 15,212 230,118
1989 15,516 233,429
1990 15,704 235,835
1991 15,801 237,957
1992 15,594 239,953
1993 13,915 245,917
1994 13,536 252,023
1995 12,938 257,897
1996 12,153 262,468
1997 11,668 268,198
1998 11,320 275,568
1999 10,940 283,297
2000 10,142 293,186
2001 9,904 302,682
2002 9,464 316,041
2003 9,132 331,189
2004 9,056 349,352
2005 9,102 368,756
2006 9,197 387,891
2007 9,322 403,729
2008 9,200 419,560
2009 8,913 434,458
2010 8,598 448,337
2011 8,282 459,743
2012 7,967 469,406
2013 7,689 476,846
2014 7,290 483,663
2015 6,762 491,021
2016 6,164 497,521
2017 5,367 504,630
2018 4,909 515,644
2019 4,643 528,089
2020 5,142 536,484
2021 5,162 535,629
2022 5,204 563,456
2023 5,153 577,660

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: Bhutan vs Zambia

The maternal mortality rate, which is the probability of dying during childbirth or within 42 days of pregnancy termination, is 47 deaths per 100,000 live births in Bhutan, compared to 85 deaths in Zambia.

Bhutan
Zambia
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
Bhutan Zambia
1985 969 596
1986 911 619
1987 857 630
1988 798 635
1989 747 635
1990 704 625
1991 671 611
1992 656 581
1993 578 532
1994 544 507
1995 498 466
1996 450 433
1997 415 403
1998 378 392
1999 346 378
2000 324 340
2001 286 306
2002 257 274
2003 229 250
2004 207 260
2005 186 264
2006 167 262
2007 149 324
2008 133 394
2009 121 406
2010 107 332
2011 96 291
2012 86 256
2013 79 213
2014 73 174
2015 68 154
2016 63 158
2017 58 141
2018 55 117
2019 52 103
2020 51 99
2021 50 140
2022 49 89
2023 47 85

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 2.31% in Bhutan and 4.47% in Zambia. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

Bhutan
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
Bhutan Zambia
1960 - 20.5%
1961 - 20.1%
1962 - 19.8%
1963 - 19.5%
1964 - 19.2%
1965 - 19%
1966 - 18.9%
1967 - 18.7%
1968 27.4% 18.5%
1969 26.7% 18.3%
1970 26.2% 17.9%
1971 25.5% 17.4%
1972 24.9% 16.9%
1973 24.3% 16.3%
1974 23.6% 15.9%
1975 22.9% 15.5%
1976 22.3% 15.4%
1977 21.6% 15.3%
1978 20.9% 15.3%
1979 20.2% 15.4%
1980 19.5% 15.5%
1981 18.7% 15.6%
1982 18% 15.7%
1983 17.3% 15.9%
1984 16.6% 16.2%
1985 15.9% 16.6%
1986 15.3% 17%
1987 14.6% 17.3%
1988 14% 17.7%
1989 13.4% 17.9%
1990 12.8% 18.1%
1991 12.3% 18.1%
1992 11.8% 18.1%
1993 11.3% 17.9%
1994 10.8% 17.7%
1995 10.3% 17.3%
1996 9.75% 17%
1997 9.26% 16.7%
1998 8.77% 16.3%
1999 8.3% 15.9%
2000 7.85% 15.3%
2001 7.4% 14.4%
2002 6.96% 13.4%
2003 6.54% 12.4%
2004 6.12% 11.4%
2005 5.71% 10.5%
2006 5.32% 9.71%
2007 4.96% 9.14%
2008 4.62% 8.62%
2009 4.31% 8%
2010 4.03% 7.57%
2011 3.77% 7.31%
2012 3.56% 7.04%
2013 3.38% 6.72%
2014 3.22% 6.38%
2015 3.08% 6.15%
2016 2.96% 5.9%
2017 2.85% 5.61%
2018 2.74% 5.52%
2019 2.65% 5.41%
2020 2.55% 5.24%
2021 2.47% 4.92%
2022 2.39% 4.67%
2023 2.31% 4.47%

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Birth rate comparisons

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