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Fertility & birth rates in China and Eritrea

Updated on by Georank team

China has an annual birth rate of 6.39 births per 1,000 people, compared to 28.5 for Eritrea. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 1 in China and 3.71 in Eritrea — 271.7% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -77.6% in China and by -42.7% in Eritrea — in 1960, it was 4.45 and 6.48, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • China is ranked 191/196 by birth rate compared to 37/196 for Eritrea.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 29.3 in China — it's 29.1 in Eritrea.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 5.23 in China vs 65.2 in Eritrea.
  • In China, 22.3% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 24.8% in Eritrea.
  • Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was -0.15% in China and +2.25% in Eritrea.

Birth rate data compared

China Eritrea
Fertility rate 1 3.71
Birth rate 6.39 28.5
Birth rate rank 191/196 37/196
Age at first childbirth n/a 21.3 years
Average age at childbearing 29.3 years 29.1 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 5.15 64.2
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 57.4 170.8
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 8.77 51.8
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 22.3% 24.8%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 80.5% 7.1%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 99.9% 34.1%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.02% 0.29%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 0.28% 1.64%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 0.45% 2.55%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 0.62% 3.54%
Population change due to births and deaths -2,087,851 +78,073
Natural population change rank 196/196 84/196
Natural population change rate -0.15% +2.25%
Population growth -0.12% +1.88%
Population growth rank 173/197 60/197
Life expectancy 78.4 years 69.2 years

Fertility rate in China vs Eritrea chart

According to the latest available data on birth rates, the fertility rate in China was 1 children per woman in 2023, compared to 3.71 in Eritrea in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.

Check China vs Eritrea population clock for a dynamic visualization of the changing population.

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

China
Factual

UN forecast
Eritrea
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
China Eritrea
1960 4.45 6.48
1961 3.86 6.47
1962 6.09 6.5
1963 7.51 6.48
1964 6.67 6.49
1965 6.61 6.49
1966 6.31 6.5
1967 5.81 6.5
1968 6.51 6.5
1969 6.18 6.5
1970 6.09 6.54
1971 5.52 6.54
1972 5.11 6.54
1973 4.73 6.55
1974 4.17 6.57
1975 3.57 6.59
1976 3.24 6.6
1977 2.84 6.61
1978 2.72 6.61
1979 2.75 6.62
1980 2.74 6.61
1981 2.79 6.62
1982 2.97 6.63
1983 2.56 6.65
1984 2.61 6.62
1985 2.63 6.59
1986 2.72 6.56
1987 2.76 6.52
1988 2.54 6.47
1989 2.52 6.41
1990 2.51 6.34
1991 1.93 6.24
1992 1.78 6.16
1993 1.69 6.07
1994 1.63 6.01
1995 1.59 5.94
1996 1.55 5.84
1997 1.53 5.74
1998 1.52 5.63
1999 1.53 5.52
2000 1.63 5.4
2001 1.56 5.31
2002 1.57 5.23
2003 1.57 5.14
2004 1.61 5.04
2005 1.62 4.93
2006 1.64 4.88
2007 1.67 4.81
2008 1.7 4.74
2009 1.71 4.66
2010 1.69 4.57
2011 1.67 4.49
2012 1.8 4.41
2013 1.71 4.34
2014 1.77 4.27
2015 1.67 4.22
2016 1.77 4.16
2017 1.8 4.11
2018 1.54 4.06
2019 1.5 4
2020 1.24 3.93
2021 1.12 3.87
2022 1.03 3.79
2023 1 3.71
2024 1.01 3.68
2025 1.02 3.61
2026 1.03 3.55
2027 1.04 3.49
2028 1.05 3.43
2029 1.05 3.38
2030 1.06 3.32
2031 1.07 3.27
2032 1.08 3.22
2033 1.08 3.18
2034 1.09 3.13
2035 1.1 3.09
2036 1.1 3.04
2037 1.11 3.01
2038 1.12 2.97
2039 1.12 2.93
2040 1.13 2.9
2041 1.13 2.86
2042 1.14 2.83
2043 1.15 2.8
2044 1.15 2.77
2045 1.16 2.74
2046 1.16 2.71
2047 1.17 2.68
2048 1.17 2.65
2049 1.18 2.63
2050 1.18 2.6

Children 0-14 years as share of population

China
Factual

UN forecast
Eritrea
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
China Eritrea
1960 40.3% 41.5%
1961 40% 41.4%
1962 40% 41.4%
1963 40.6% 41.5%
1964 41.2% 41.6%
1965 41.5% 41.8%
1966 41.5% 42.1%
1967 41.3% 42.4%
1968 41% 42.8%
1969 41% 43%
1970 40.8% 43.3%
1971 40.7% 43.6%
1972 40.4% 43.8%
1973 40.1% 44%
1974 40.2% 44.1%
1975 40.2% 44.1%
1976 40.3% 44.2%
1977 39.8% 44.3%
1978 38.6% 44.3%
1979 37.2% 44.4%
1980 36.1% 44.4%
1981 35.1% 44.4%
1982 34.3% 44.4%
1983 33.3% 44.4%
1984 32.2% 44.2%
1985 31.2% 44.1%
1986 30.4% 44%
1987 29.8% 44%
1988 29.3% 44.2%
1989 28.9% 44.3%
1990 28.8% 44.5%
1991 28.6% 44.6%
1992 28.4% 44.7%
1993 28.2% 44.5%
1994 27.8% 44.4%
1995 27.4% 43.5%
1996 27% 42.9%
1997 26.3% 43.7%
1998 25.7% 44.4%
1999 25.2% 44.9%
2000 24.5% 45.2%
2001 23.8% 45%
2002 22.9% 44.4%
2003 22% 43.7%
2004 21.2% 43%
2005 20.3% 42.9%
2006 19.6% 43.1%
2007 19.2% 43.3%
2008 18.9% 43%
2009 18.6% 42.7%
2010 18.5% 42.6%
2011 18.3% 42.3%
2012 18.3% 42.1%
2013 18.3% 42%
2014 18.3% 42%
2015 18.3% 42.1%
2016 18.3% 42.1%
2017 18.4% 41.9%
2018 18.3% 41.5%
2019 18.2% 41%
2020 18% 40.4%
2021 17.6% 39.8%
2022 17.1% 39.2%
2023 16.6% 38.7%
2024 16% 38.1%
2025 15.4% 37.6%
2026 14.8% 37.1%
2027 14.1% 36.6%
2028 13.5% 36.3%
2029 12.8% 35.9%
2030 12.1% 35.7%
2031 11.5% 35.5%
2032 10.8% 35.3%
2033 10.3% 35.2%
2034 9.83% 35%
2035 9.53% 34.8%
2036 9.37% 34.7%
2037 9.31% 34.4%
2038 9.31% 34.2%
2039 9.34% 34%
2040 9.38% 33.7%
2041 9.43% 33.4%
2042 9.49% 33.1%
2043 9.56% 32.7%
2044 9.63% 32.3%
2045 9.71% 31.9%
2046 9.78% 31.5%
2047 9.85% 31.1%
2048 9.9% 30.7%
2049 9.93% 30.3%
2050 9.94% 29.9%

Children aged 0-14 make up 16% of the population in China and 38.1% in Eritrea in 2024, compared to 28.8% and 44.5% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of China and Eritrea compared.

Natural population change in China vs Eritrea by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +0.31% in China and +2.29% in Eritrea. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

China
Eritrea

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
China Eritrea
1960 -3,048,510 21,424
1961 2,496,047 22,351
1962 17,969,132 23,478
1963 22,742,225 24,393
1964 19,302,532 25,327
1965 20,296,950 26,285
1966 19,282,187 24,713
1967 19,263,662 27,992
1968 21,206,083 28,777
1969 20,760,332 29,535
1970 21,137,076 30,686
1971 19,622,980 31,490
1972 19,102,585 30,951
1973 18,423,727 31,969
1974 15,738,118 30,111
1975 14,378,237 30,971
1976 11,782,472 36,250
1977 11,378,068 37,295
1978 11,473,980 38,353
1979 11,250,148 39,577
1980 11,647,260 41,392
1981 14,461,027 42,924
1982 15,815,318 44,146
1983 13,599,789 33,420
1984 13,561,671 35,101
1985 14,987,830 37,362
1986 16,609,920 39,470
1987 18,005,821 52,229
1988 17,328,640 54,163
1989 16,824,495 54,299
1990 16,335,313 56,903
1991 14,937,124 57,741
1992 13,548,601 51,443
1993 13,493,138 51,679
1994 13,360,470 56,288
1995 12,711,220 56,157
1996 12,686,872 66,557
1997 12,374,554 63,953
1998 11,351,286 55,332
1999 10,247,372 45,120
2000 9,570,849 60,274
2001 8,839,358 61,180
2002 8,258,580 65,436
2003 7,743,284 66,291
2004 7,607,960 72,147
2005 7,678,911 72,930
2006 6,922,185 74,470
2007 6,813,465 73,101
2008 6,729,247 73,391
2009 6,483,236 76,206
2010 6,407,607 76,098
2011 8,245,065 76,806
2012 10,075,174 76,416
2013 8,043,116 75,562
2014 9,205,180 75,729
2015 6,788,911 73,682
2016 9,062,269 73,002
2017 7,790,880 72,291
2018 5,302,433 72,511
2019 4,673,713 73,572
2020 2,046,095 73,362
2021 480,203 74,394
2022 -847,305 76,221
2023 -2,087,851 78,073

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: China vs Eritrea

The maternal mortality rate, which is the probability of dying during childbirth or within 42 days of pregnancy termination, is 16 deaths per 100,000 live births in China, compared to 291 deaths in Eritrea.

China
Eritrea
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
China Eritrea
1985 125 1,678
1986 120 1,625
1987 114 1,555
1988 108 1,499
1989 104 1,473
1990 102 1,352
1991 92 1,384
1992 86 1,149
1993 80 1,040
1994 76 998
1995 71 854
1996 67 878
1997 63 817
1998 60 865
1999 58 734
2000 56 741
2001 52 651
2002 50 636
2003 47 588
2004 45 588
2005 42 567
2006 40 555
2007 38 541
2008 38 530
2009 35 515
2010 34 498
2011 33 478
2012 32 458
2013 30 443
2014 28 430
2015 26 413
2016 25 395
2017 24 379
2018 22 363
2019 21 351
2020 20 334
2021 21 338
2022 18 301
2023 16 291

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 0.62% in China and 3.54% in Eritrea. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

China
Eritrea

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
China Eritrea
1969 11.9% -
1970 11.3% -
1971 10.7% -
1972 10.2% -
1973 9.61% -
1974 9.05% 25.6%
1975 8.5% 25%
1976 7.97% 20.8%
1977 7.47% 20.4%
1978 7.01% 20%
1979 6.62% 19.7%
1980 6.28% 19.4%
1981 6% 19.1%
1982 5.78% 18.8%
1983 5.61% 27.8%
1984 5.5% 27.2%
1985 5.43% 26.2%
1986 5.4% 25.6%
1987 5.4% 17.1%
1988 5.4% 16.6%
1989 5.39% 16%
1990 5.37% 15.4%
1991 5.31% 14.7%
1992 5.22% 13.9%
1993 5.08% 13.1%
1994 4.93% 12.3%
1995 4.75% 11.5%
1996 4.56% 10.8%
1997 4.36% 10.1%
1998 4.14% 9.51%
1999 3.91% 10.9%
2000 3.67% 8.53%
2001 3.42% 8.11%
2002 3.15% 7.73%
2003 2.89% 7.38%
2004 2.64% 7.05%
2005 2.4% 6.75%
2006 2.19% 6.46%
2007 2.01% 6.19%
2008 1.85% 5.94%
2009 1.71% 5.71%
2010 1.58% 5.5%
2011 1.46% 5.31%
2012 1.35% 5.12%
2013 1.25% 4.94%
2014 1.15% 4.78%
2015 1.07% 4.61%
2016 0.99% 4.46%
2017 0.92% 4.32%
2018 0.86% 4.17%
2019 0.8% 4.03%
2020 0.75% 3.91%
2021 0.7% 3.79%
2022 0.66% 3.66%
2023 0.62% 3.54%

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs China vs Eritrea
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