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Fertility & birth rates in China and Gambia

Updated on by Georank team

China has an annual birth rate of 6.39 births per 1,000 people, compared to 30.4 for the Gambia. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 1 in China and 4.01 in the Gambia — 301% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -77.6% in China and by -35.9% in the Gambia — in 1960, it was 4.45 and 6.25, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • China is ranked 191/196 by birth rate compared to 30/196 for the Gambia.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 29.3 in China — it's 29.8 in the Gambia.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 5.23 in China vs 58.1 in the Gambia.
  • In China, 22.3% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 24.5% in the Gambia.
  • Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was -0.15% in China and +2.41% in the Gambia.

Birth rate data compared

China Gambia
Fertility rate 1 4.01
Birth rate 6.39 30.4
Birth rate rank 191/196 30/196
Age at first childbirth n/a 20.7 years
Average age at childbearing 29.3 years 29.8 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 5.15 54.1
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 57.4 173
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 8.77 68.1
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 22.3% 24.5%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 80.5% 17.1%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 99.9% 83.8%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.02% 0.35%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 0.28% 2.37%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 0.45% 3.38%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 0.62% 4.41%
Population change due to births and deaths -2,087,851 +65,118
Natural population change rank 196/196 88/196
Natural population change rate -0.15% +2.41%
Population growth -0.12% +2.3%
Population growth rank 173/197 39/197
Life expectancy 78.4 years 66.3 years

Fertility rate in China vs Gambia chart

According to the latest available data on birth rates, the fertility rate in China was 1 children per woman in 2023, compared to 4.01 in the Gambia in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.

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

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

China
Factual

UN forecast
Gambia
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
China Gambia
1960 4.45 6.25
1961 3.86 6.23
1962 6.09 6.21
1963 7.51 6.2
1964 6.67 6.2
1965 6.61 6.19
1966 6.31 6.18
1967 5.81 6.21
1968 6.51 6.22
1969 6.18 6.25
1970 6.09 6.26
1971 5.52 6.33
1972 5.11 6.37
1973 4.73 6.41
1974 4.17 6.42
1975 3.57 6.43
1976 3.24 6.43
1977 2.84 6.43
1978 2.72 6.42
1979 2.75 6.41
1980 2.74 6.41
1981 2.79 6.4
1982 2.97 6.4
1983 2.56 6.39
1984 2.61 6.39
1985 2.63 6.36
1986 2.72 6.34
1987 2.76 6.3
1988 2.54 6.26
1989 2.52 6.25
1990 2.51 6.25
1991 1.93 6.19
1992 1.78 6.11
1993 1.69 6.03
1994 1.63 6.04
1995 1.59 5.99
1996 1.55 5.93
1997 1.53 5.85
1998 1.52 5.82
1999 1.53 5.77
2000 1.63 5.72
2001 1.56 5.67
2002 1.57 5.66
2003 1.57 5.66
2004 1.61 5.68
2005 1.62 5.71
2006 1.64 5.74
2007 1.67 5.69
2008 1.7 5.63
2009 1.71 5.57
2010 1.69 5.56
2011 1.67 5.54
2012 1.8 5.52
2013 1.71 5.39
2014 1.77 5.2
2015 1.67 5
2016 1.77 4.81
2017 1.8 4.61
2018 1.54 4.42
2019 1.5 4.33
2020 1.24 4.25
2021 1.12 4.17
2022 1.03 4.08
2023 1 4.01
2024 1.01 3.91
2025 1.02 3.8
2026 1.03 3.7
2027 1.04 3.6
2028 1.05 3.51
2029 1.05 3.41
2030 1.06 3.33
2031 1.07 3.24
2032 1.08 3.17
2033 1.08 3.1
2034 1.09 3.03
2035 1.1 2.97
2036 1.1 2.91
2037 1.11 2.86
2038 1.12 2.81
2039 1.12 2.76
2040 1.13 2.71
2041 1.13 2.67
2042 1.14 2.63
2043 1.15 2.59
2044 1.15 2.56
2045 1.16 2.52
2046 1.16 2.49
2047 1.17 2.46
2048 1.17 2.43
2049 1.18 2.4
2050 1.18 2.38

Children 0-14 years as share of population

China
Factual

UN forecast
Gambia
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
China Gambia
1960 40.3% 41%
1961 40% 40.8%
1962 40% 40.7%
1963 40.6% 40.8%
1964 41.2% 41%
1965 41.5% 41.3%
1966 41.5% 41.5%
1967 41.3% 41.6%
1968 41% 41.8%
1969 41% 41.9%
1970 40.8% 42%
1971 40.7% 42.1%
1972 40.4% 42.2%
1973 40.1% 42.3%
1974 40.2% 42.4%
1975 40.2% 42.6%
1976 40.3% 42.8%
1977 39.8% 43%
1978 38.6% 43.3%
1979 37.2% 43.5%
1980 36.1% 43.7%
1981 35.1% 44%
1982 34.3% 44.3%
1983 33.3% 44.6%
1984 32.2% 44.9%
1985 31.2% 45%
1986 30.4% 45.2%
1987 29.8% 45.4%
1988 29.3% 45.5%
1989 28.9% 45.6%
1990 28.8% 45.7%
1991 28.6% 45.8%
1992 28.4% 45.9%
1993 28.2% 46%
1994 27.8% 46.3%
1995 27.4% 46.5%
1996 27% 46.7%
1997 26.3% 46.9%
1998 25.7% 46.9%
1999 25.2% 46.9%
2000 24.5% 46.8%
2001 23.8% 46.7%
2002 22.9% 46.6%
2003 22% 46.4%
2004 21.2% 46.1%
2005 20.3% 45.9%
2006 19.6% 45.6%
2007 19.2% 45.3%
2008 18.9% 45.1%
2009 18.6% 44.8%
2010 18.5% 44.5%
2011 18.3% 44.3%
2012 18.3% 44.1%
2013 18.3% 43.9%
2014 18.3% 43.7%
2015 18.3% 43.6%
2016 18.3% 43.3%
2017 18.4% 43.1%
2018 18.3% 42.8%
2019 18.2% 42.4%
2020 18% 42%
2021 17.6% 41.6%
2022 17.1% 41.2%
2023 16.6% 40.7%
2024 16% 40.2%
2025 15.4% 39.7%
2026 14.8% 39.2%
2027 14.1% 38.5%
2028 13.5% 37.9%
2029 12.8% 37.3%
2030 12.1% 36.7%
2031 11.5% 36.2%
2032 10.8% 35.7%
2033 10.3% 35.2%
2034 9.83% 34.8%
2035 9.53% 34.3%
2036 9.37% 33.9%
2037 9.31% 33.4%
2038 9.31% 33%
2039 9.34% 32.5%
2040 9.38% 32.1%
2041 9.43% 31.7%
2042 9.49% 31.3%
2043 9.56% 30.9%
2044 9.63% 30.5%
2045 9.71% 30.2%
2046 9.78% 29.8%
2047 9.85% 29.5%
2048 9.9% 29.1%
2049 9.93% 28.8%
2050 9.94% 28.4%

Children aged 0-14 make up 16% of the population in China and 40.2% in the Gambia in 2024, compared to 28.8% and 45.7% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of China and the Gambia compared.

Natural population change in China vs Gambia by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +0.31% in China and +2.59% in the Gambia. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

China
Gambia

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
China Gambia
1960 -3,048,510 8,420
1961 2,496,047 8,778
1962 17,969,132 9,150
1963 22,742,225 9,493
1964 19,302,532 9,825
1965 20,296,950 10,162
1966 19,282,187 10,422
1967 19,263,662 10,823
1968 21,206,083 11,215
1969 20,760,332 11,670
1970 21,137,076 12,128
1971 19,622,980 12,842
1972 19,102,585 13,432
1973 18,423,727 14,046
1974 15,738,118 14,628
1975 14,378,237 15,256
1976 11,782,472 16,032
1977 11,378,068 16,773
1978 11,473,980 17,424
1979 11,250,148 18,543
1980 11,647,260 19,566
1981 14,461,027 20,156
1982 15,815,318 21,894
1983 13,599,789 23,175
1984 13,561,671 24,586
1985 14,987,830 25,795
1986 16,609,920 27,195
1987 18,005,821 28,452
1988 17,328,640 29,938
1989 16,824,495 31,504
1990 16,335,313 33,163
1991 14,937,124 34,584
1992 13,548,601 35,951
1993 13,493,138 37,302
1994 13,360,470 38,880
1995 12,711,220 39,681
1996 12,686,872 40,253
1997 12,374,554 40,742
1998 11,351,286 41,842
1999 10,247,372 42,533
2000 9,570,849 43,249
2001 8,839,358 44,154
2002 8,258,580 45,156
2003 7,743,284 46,473
2004 7,607,960 48,276
2005 7,678,911 50,010
2006 6,922,185 52,335
2007 6,813,465 53,653
2008 6,729,247 55,032
2009 6,483,236 56,575
2010 6,407,607 58,554
2011 8,245,065 60,571
2012 10,075,174 62,745
2013 8,043,116 63,510
2014 9,205,180 63,185
2015 6,788,911 62,832
2016 9,062,269 62,358
2017 7,790,880 61,665
2018 5,302,433 60,854
2019 4,673,713 61,701
2020 2,046,095 62,209
2021 480,203 62,239
2022 -847,305 63,634
2023 -2,087,851 65,118

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: China vs Gambia

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 354 deaths in the Gambia.

China
Gambia
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
China Gambia
1985 125 1,454
1986 120 1,401
1987 114 1,360
1988 108 1,302
1989 104 1,258
1990 102 1,207
1991 92 1,167
1992 86 1,115
1993 80 1,072
1994 76 1,039
1995 71 999
1996 67 956
1997 63 928
1998 60 867
1999 58 830
2000 56 810
2001 52 794
2002 50 772
2003 47 749
2004 45 719
2005 42 707
2006 40 682
2007 38 675
2008 38 653
2009 35 634
2010 34 632
2011 33 634
2012 32 628
2013 30 606
2014 28 561
2015 26 527
2016 25 490
2017 24 469
2018 22 450
2019 21 422
2020 20 400
2021 21 420
2022 18 365
2023 16 354

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 0.62% in China and 4.41% in the Gambia. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

China
Gambia

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 Gambia
1960 - 36.2%
1961 - 35.5%
1962 - 34.8%
1963 - 34.1%
1964 - 33.5%
1965 - 32.8%
1966 - 32.1%
1967 - 31.5%
1968 - 30.9%
1969 11.9% 30.2%
1970 11.3% 29.5%
1971 10.7% 28.9%
1972 10.2% 28.2%
1973 9.61% 27.5%
1974 9.05% 26.9%
1975 8.5% 26.2%
1976 7.97% 25.5%
1977 7.47% 24.9%
1978 7.01% 24.2%
1979 6.62% 23.6%
1980 6.28% 23%
1981 6% 22.3%
1982 5.78% 21.7%
1983 5.61% 21%
1984 5.5% 20.4%
1985 5.43% 19.7%
1986 5.4% 19.1%
1987 5.4% 18.4%
1988 5.4% 17.8%
1989 5.39% 17.2%
1990 5.37% 16.6%
1991 5.31% 16%
1992 5.22% 15.5%
1993 5.08% 14.9%
1994 4.93% 14.4%
1995 4.75% 13.9%
1996 4.56% 13.3%
1997 4.36% 12.8%
1998 4.14% 12.3%
1999 3.91% 11.8%
2000 3.67% 11.3%
2001 3.42% 10.9%
2002 3.15% 10.4%
2003 2.89% 9.95%
2004 2.64% 9.52%
2005 2.4% 9.11%
2006 2.19% 8.71%
2007 2.01% 8.33%
2008 1.85% 7.98%
2009 1.71% 7.64%
2010 1.58% 7.31%
2011 1.46% 7.01%
2012 1.35% 6.73%
2013 1.25% 6.45%
2014 1.15% 6.18%
2015 1.07% 5.93%
2016 0.99% 5.7%
2017 0.92% 5.47%
2018 0.86% 5.27%
2019 0.8% 5.07%
2020 0.75% 4.89%
2021 0.7% 4.72%
2022 0.66% 4.56%
2023 0.62% 4.41%

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs China vs Gambia
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