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Fertility & birth rates in China and Kenya

Updated on by Georank team

China has an annual birth rate of 6.39 births per 1,000 people, compared to 27.1 for Kenya. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 1 in China and 3.21 in Kenya — 221.1% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -77.6% in China and by -58.1% in Kenya — in 1960, it was 4.45 and 7.65, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • China is ranked 191/196 by birth rate compared to 43/196 for Kenya.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 29.3 in China — it's 28.2 in Kenya.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 5.23 in China vs 56.3 in Kenya.
  • In China, 22.3% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 26.4% in Kenya.
  • Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was -0.15% in China and +1.99% in Kenya.

Birth rate data compared

China Kenya
Fertility rate 1 3.21
Birth rate 6.39 27.1
Birth rate rank 191/196 43/196
Age at first childbirth n/a 20.3 years
Average age at childbearing 29.3 years 28.2 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 5.15 52.8
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 57.4 167.9
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 8.77 46.7
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 22.3% 26.4%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 80.5% 56.9%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 99.9% 70.2%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.02% 0.15%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 0.28% 2.15%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 0.45% 3.47%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 0.62% 3.99%
Population change due to births and deaths -2,087,851 +1,100,970
Natural population change rank 196/196 18/196
Natural population change rate -0.15% +1.99%
Population growth -0.12% +1.98%
Population growth rank 173/197 55/197
Life expectancy 78.4 years 64 years

Fertility rate in China vs Kenya chart

According to the latest available data on birth rates, the fertility rate in China was 1 children per woman in 2023, compared to 3.21 in Kenya in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.

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

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

China
Factual

UN forecast
Kenya
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
China Kenya
1960 4.45 7.65
1961 3.86 7.72
1962 6.09 7.77
1963 7.51 7.82
1964 6.67 7.87
1965 6.61 7.92
1966 6.31 7.96
1967 5.81 7.95
1968 6.51 7.95
1969 6.18 7.95
1970 6.09 7.94
1971 5.52 7.92
1972 5.11 7.89
1973 4.73 7.86
1974 4.17 7.82
1975 3.57 7.8
1976 3.24 7.77
1977 2.84 7.73
1978 2.72 7.67
1979 2.75 7.6
1980 2.74 7.53
1981 2.79 7.45
1982 2.97 7.35
1983 2.56 7.22
1984 2.61 7.08
1985 2.63 6.96
1986 2.72 6.84
1987 2.76 6.69
1988 2.54 6.52
1989 2.52 6.33
1990 2.51 6.14
1991 1.93 5.94
1992 1.78 5.74
1993 1.69 5.57
1994 1.63 5.44
1995 1.59 5.37
1996 1.55 5.31
1997 1.53 5.27
1998 1.52 5.24
1999 1.53 5.18
2000 1.63 5.14
2001 1.56 5.09
2002 1.57 5.03
2003 1.57 4.94
2004 1.61 4.86
2005 1.62 4.8
2006 1.64 4.75
2007 1.67 4.72
2008 1.7 4.66
2009 1.71 4.57
2010 1.69 4.45
2011 1.67 4.28
2012 1.8 4.12
2013 1.71 3.96
2014 1.77 3.84
2015 1.67 3.77
2016 1.77 3.69
2017 1.8 3.61
2018 1.54 3.54
2019 1.5 3.43
2020 1.24 3.36
2021 1.12 3.31
2022 1.03 3.26
2023 1 3.21
2024 1.01 3.17
2025 1.02 3.12
2026 1.03 3.07
2027 1.04 3.03
2028 1.05 2.99
2029 1.05 2.95
2030 1.06 2.92
2031 1.07 2.89
2032 1.08 2.85
2033 1.08 2.82
2034 1.09 2.78
2035 1.1 2.75
2036 1.1 2.72
2037 1.11 2.69
2038 1.12 2.66
2039 1.12 2.63
2040 1.13 2.61
2041 1.13 2.58
2042 1.14 2.55
2043 1.15 2.53
2044 1.15 2.5
2045 1.16 2.47
2046 1.16 2.44
2047 1.17 2.42
2048 1.17 2.4
2049 1.18 2.38
2050 1.18 2.36

Children 0-14 years as share of population

China
Factual

UN forecast
Kenya
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
China Kenya
1960 40.3% 48.7%
1961 40% 49.1%
1962 40% 49.4%
1963 40.6% 49.7%
1964 41.2% 49.8%
1965 41.5% 50.2%
1966 41.5% 50.6%
1967 41.3% 50.9%
1968 41% 51.2%
1969 41% 51.4%
1970 40.8% 51.6%
1971 40.7% 51.7%
1972 40.4% 51.9%
1973 40.1% 52%
1974 40.2% 52%
1975 40.2% 52%
1976 40.3% 52.1%
1977 39.8% 52%
1978 38.6% 51.9%
1979 37.2% 51.7%
1980 36.1% 51.5%
1981 35.1% 51.3%
1982 34.3% 51.1%
1983 33.3% 50.8%
1984 32.2% 50.6%
1985 31.2% 50.3%
1986 30.4% 50.1%
1987 29.8% 49.9%
1988 29.3% 49.7%
1989 28.9% 49.5%
1990 28.8% 49.2%
1991 28.6% 48.9%
1992 28.4% 48.7%
1993 28.2% 48.4%
1994 27.8% 48%
1995 27.4% 47.7%
1996 27% 47.4%
1997 26.3% 47.1%
1998 25.7% 46.8%
1999 25.2% 46.5%
2000 24.5% 46.1%
2001 23.8% 45.7%
2002 22.9% 45.3%
2003 22% 45%
2004 21.2% 44.6%
2005 20.3% 44.4%
2006 19.6% 44.2%
2007 19.2% 44%
2008 18.9% 43.9%
2009 18.6% 43.8%
2010 18.5% 43.6%
2011 18.3% 43.4%
2012 18.3% 43.2%
2013 18.3% 42.8%
2014 18.3% 42.4%
2015 18.3% 42%
2016 18.3% 41.5%
2017 18.4% 41%
2018 18.3% 40.5%
2019 18.2% 39.9%
2020 18% 39.3%
2021 17.6% 38.7%
2022 17.1% 38.1%
2023 16.6% 37.4%
2024 16% 36.8%
2025 15.4% 36.3%
2026 14.8% 35.7%
2027 14.1% 35.3%
2028 13.5% 34.9%
2029 12.8% 34.5%
2030 12.1% 34.2%
2031 11.5% 33.9%
2032 10.8% 33.6%
2033 10.3% 33.4%
2034 9.83% 33.2%
2035 9.53% 32.9%
2036 9.37% 32.7%
2037 9.31% 32.5%
2038 9.31% 32.2%
2039 9.34% 32%
2040 9.38% 31.7%
2041 9.43% 31.4%
2042 9.49% 31%
2043 9.56% 30.7%
2044 9.63% 30.4%
2045 9.71% 30%
2046 9.78% 29.7%
2047 9.85% 29.3%
2048 9.9% 28.9%
2049 9.93% 28.5%
2050 9.94% 28.2%

Children aged 0-14 make up 16% of the population in China and 36.8% in Kenya in 2024, compared to 28.8% and 49.2% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of China and Kenya compared.

Natural population change in China vs Kenya by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +0.31% in China and +2.16% in Kenya. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

China
Kenya

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
China Kenya
1960 -3,048,510 280,032
1961 2,496,047 298,463
1962 17,969,132 315,797
1963 22,742,225 332,763
1964 19,302,532 349,322
1965 20,296,950 366,444
1966 19,282,187 382,891
1967 19,263,662 396,920
1968 21,206,083 411,948
1969 20,760,332 427,819
1970 21,137,076 443,065
1971 19,622,980 459,897
1972 19,102,585 472,557
1973 18,423,727 485,556
1974 15,738,118 500,008
1975 14,378,237 517,579
1976 11,782,472 536,740
1977 11,378,068 554,124
1978 11,473,980 574,695
1979 11,250,148 595,390
1980 11,647,260 616,390
1981 14,461,027 642,379
1982 15,815,318 663,109
1983 13,599,789 684,587
1984 13,561,671 709,639
1985 14,987,830 732,739
1986 16,609,920 755,606
1987 18,005,821 775,124
1988 17,328,640 785,652
1989 16,824,495 795,622
1990 16,335,313 789,087
1991 14,937,124 790,030
1992 13,548,601 785,018
1993 13,493,138 788,579
1994 13,360,470 792,702
1995 12,711,220 812,391
1996 12,686,872 827,326
1997 12,374,554 847,493
1998 11,351,286 875,511
1999 10,247,372 898,484
2000 9,570,849 928,357
2001 8,839,358 963,721
2002 8,258,580 992,044
2003 7,743,284 1,018,182
2004 7,607,960 1,048,590
2005 7,678,911 1,080,446
2006 6,922,185 1,113,357
2007 6,813,465 1,147,063
2008 6,729,247 1,174,818
2009 6,483,236 1,193,598
2010 6,407,607 1,199,786
2011 8,245,065 1,185,863
2012 10,075,174 1,161,548
2013 8,043,116 1,136,006
2014 9,205,180 1,123,333
2015 6,788,911 1,119,200
2016 9,062,269 1,108,801
2017 7,790,880 1,105,769
2018 5,302,433 1,097,075
2019 4,673,713 1,071,777
2020 2,046,095 1,036,253
2021 480,203 1,037,082
2022 -847,305 1,092,102
2023 -2,087,851 1,100,970

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: China vs Kenya

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 149 deaths in Kenya.

China
Kenya
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
China Kenya
1985 125 1,375
1986 120 1,059
1987 114 960
1988 108 756
1989 104 663
1990 102 586
1991 92 493
1992 86 419
1993 80 363
1994 76 342
1995 71 308
1996 67 275
1997 63 253
1998 60 250
1999 58 217
2000 56 206
2001 52 188
2002 50 182
2003 47 177
2004 45 177
2005 42 178
2006 40 188
2007 38 198
2008 38 197
2009 35 208
2010 34 210
2011 33 209
2012 32 214
2013 30 206
2014 28 203
2015 26 203
2016 25 196
2017 24 186
2018 22 183
2019 21 176
2020 20 184
2021 21 183
2022 18 155
2023 16 149

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 0.62% in China and 3.99% in Kenya. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

China
Kenya

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 Kenya
1960 - 19.6%
1961 - 18.8%
1962 - 18.1%
1963 - 17.5%
1964 - 17%
1965 - 16.6%
1966 - 16.3%
1967 - 16%
1968 - 15.7%
1969 11.9% 15.4%
1970 11.3% 15%
1971 10.7% 14.7%
1972 10.2% 14.3%
1973 9.61% 14%
1974 9.05% 13.5%
1975 8.5% 13.1%
1976 7.97% 12.7%
1977 7.47% 12.2%
1978 7.01% 11.8%
1979 6.62% 11.4%
1980 6.28% 11%
1981 6% 10.6%
1982 5.78% 10.3%
1983 5.61% 9.98%
1984 5.5% 9.74%
1985 5.43% 9.57%
1986 5.4% 9.49%
1987 5.4% 9.51%
1988 5.4% 9.63%
1989 5.39% 9.85%
1990 5.37% 10.1%
1991 5.31% 10.5%
1992 5.22% 10.7%
1993 5.08% 10.9%
1994 4.93% 11%
1995 4.75% 11%
1996 4.56% 10.9%
1997 4.36% 10.7%
1998 4.14% 10.4%
1999 3.91% 10.1%
2000 3.67% 9.63%
2001 3.42% 9.16%
2002 3.15% 8.66%
2003 2.89% 8.16%
2004 2.64% 7.66%
2005 2.4% 7.15%
2006 2.19% 6.71%
2007 2.01% 6.32%
2008 1.85% 5.82%
2009 1.71% 5.54%
2010 1.58% 5.35%
2011 1.46% 5.22%
2012 1.35% 5.12%
2013 1.25% 5%
2014 1.15% 4.88%
2015 1.07% 4.74%
2016 0.99% 4.6%
2017 0.92% 4.53%
2018 0.86% 4.43%
2019 0.8% 4.33%
2020 0.75% 4.28%
2021 0.7% 4.19%
2022 0.66% 4.11%
2023 0.62% 3.99%

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Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs China vs Kenya
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