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Fertility & birth rates in China and Nepal

Updated on by Georank team

China has an annual birth rate of 6.39 births per 1,000 people, compared to 19.3 for Nepal. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 1 in China and 1.98 in Nepal — 98.6% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -77.6% in China and by -67.3% in Nepal — in 1960, it was 4.45 and 6.07, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • China is ranked 191/196 by birth rate compared to 80/196 for Nepal.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 29.3 in China — it's 25.3 in Nepal.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 5.23 in China vs 67.2 in Nepal.
  • In China, 22.3% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 28.9% in Nepal.
  • Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was -0.15% in China and +1.24% in Nepal.

Birth rate data compared

China Nepal
Fertility rate 1 1.98
Birth rate 6.39 19.3
Birth rate rank 191/196 80/196
Age at first childbirth n/a 20.4 years
Average age at childbearing 29.3 years 25.3 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 5.15 66
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 57.4 125.6
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 8.77 12.9
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 22.3% 28.9%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 80.5% 42.7%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 99.9% 77.2%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.02% 0.14%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 0.28% 1.66%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 0.45% 2.33%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 0.62% 2.65%
Population change due to births and deaths -2,087,851 +368,450
Natural population change rank 196/196 47/196
Natural population change rate -0.15% +1.24%
Population growth -0.12% -0.15%
Population growth rank 173/197 174/197
Life expectancy 78.4 years 70.9 years

Fertility rate in China vs Nepal chart

According to the latest available data on birth rates, the fertility rate in China was 1 children per woman in 2023, compared to 1.98 in Nepal in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.

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

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

China
Factual

UN forecast
Nepal
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
China Nepal
1960 4.45 6.07
1961 3.86 6.09
1962 6.09 6.08
1963 7.51 6.06
1964 6.67 6.04
1965 6.61 6.01
1966 6.31 5.98
1967 5.81 5.95
1968 6.51 5.94
1969 6.18 5.89
1970 6.09 5.87
1971 5.52 5.85
1972 5.11 5.8
1973 4.73 5.7
1974 4.17 5.75
1975 3.57 5.73
1976 3.24 5.72
1977 2.84 5.69
1978 2.72 5.68
1979 2.75 5.64
1980 2.74 5.6
1981 2.79 5.58
1982 2.97 5.55
1983 2.56 5.54
1984 2.61 5.51
1985 2.63 5.46
1986 2.72 5.4
1987 2.76 5.35
1988 2.54 5.31
1989 2.52 5.26
1990 2.51 5.21
1991 1.93 5.15
1992 1.78 5.07
1993 1.69 5.04
1994 1.63 4.96
1995 1.59 4.87
1996 1.55 4.67
1997 1.53 4.44
1998 1.52 4.28
1999 1.53 4.13
2000 1.63 3.98
2001 1.56 3.79
2002 1.57 3.6
2003 1.57 3.44
2004 1.61 3.28
2005 1.62 3.12
2006 1.64 2.97
2007 1.67 2.86
2008 1.7 2.74
2009 1.71 2.63
2010 1.69 2.54
2011 1.67 2.46
2012 1.8 2.42
2013 1.71 2.36
2014 1.77 2.32
2015 1.67 2.27
2016 1.77 2.23
2017 1.8 2.17
2018 1.54 2.12
2019 1.5 2.08
2020 1.24 2.05
2021 1.12 2.03
2022 1.03 2
2023 1 1.98
2024 1.01 1.96
2025 1.02 1.94
2026 1.03 1.92
2027 1.04 1.9
2028 1.05 1.89
2029 1.05 1.88
2030 1.06 1.86
2031 1.07 1.85
2032 1.08 1.84
2033 1.08 1.83
2034 1.09 1.82
2035 1.1 1.81
2036 1.1 1.8
2037 1.11 1.79
2038 1.12 1.79
2039 1.12 1.78
2040 1.13 1.78
2041 1.13 1.77
2042 1.14 1.77
2043 1.15 1.76
2044 1.15 1.76
2045 1.16 1.75
2046 1.16 1.75
2047 1.17 1.74
2048 1.17 1.74
2049 1.18 1.74
2050 1.18 1.73

Children 0-14 years as share of population

China
Factual

UN forecast
Nepal
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
China Nepal
1960 40.3% 40.7%
1961 40% 40.7%
1962 40% 40.6%
1963 40.6% 40.5%
1964 41.2% 40.4%
1965 41.5% 40.4%
1966 41.5% 40.4%
1967 41.3% 40.3%
1968 41% 40.3%
1969 41% 40.3%
1970 40.8% 40.3%
1971 40.7% 40.4%
1972 40.4% 40.4%
1973 40.1% 40.5%
1974 40.2% 40.5%
1975 40.2% 40.6%
1976 40.3% 40.7%
1977 39.8% 40.7%
1978 38.6% 40.8%
1979 37.2% 40.8%
1980 36.1% 40.9%
1981 35.1% 40.9%
1982 34.3% 40.9%
1983 33.3% 41%
1984 32.2% 41%
1985 31.2% 41.1%
1986 30.4% 41.2%
1987 29.8% 41.3%
1988 29.3% 41.4%
1989 28.9% 41.5%
1990 28.8% 41.5%
1991 28.6% 41.5%
1992 28.4% 41.4%
1993 28.2% 41.3%
1994 27.8% 41.4%
1995 27.4% 41.4%
1996 27% 41.5%
1997 26.3% 41.4%
1998 25.7% 41.3%
1999 25.2% 41.1%
2000 24.5% 40.9%
2001 23.8% 40.7%
2002 22.9% 40.4%
2003 22% 40%
2004 21.2% 39.6%
2005 20.3% 39.2%
2006 19.6% 38.7%
2007 19.2% 38.1%
2008 18.9% 37.5%
2009 18.6% 36.7%
2010 18.5% 36%
2011 18.3% 35.3%
2012 18.3% 34.7%
2013 18.3% 34.2%
2014 18.3% 33.6%
2015 18.3% 33%
2016 18.3% 32.5%
2017 18.4% 32.1%
2018 18.3% 31.6%
2019 18.2% 30.9%
2020 18% 30.1%
2021 17.6% 29.4%
2022 17.1% 28.9%
2023 16.6% 28.7%
2024 16% 28.4%
2025 15.4% 28.1%
2026 14.8% 27.7%
2027 14.1% 27.3%
2028 13.5% 26.8%
2029 12.8% 26.4%
2030 12.1% 26%
2031 11.5% 25.6%
2032 10.8% 25.2%
2033 10.3% 24.8%
2034 9.83% 24.5%
2035 9.53% 24.1%
2036 9.37% 23.8%
2037 9.31% 23.4%
2038 9.31% 23%
2039 9.34% 22.7%
2040 9.38% 22.4%
2041 9.43% 22.1%
2042 9.49% 21.7%
2043 9.56% 21.4%
2044 9.63% 21.1%
2045 9.71% 20.8%
2046 9.78% 20.5%
2047 9.85% 20.3%
2048 9.9% 20%
2049 9.93% 19.7%
2050 9.94% 19.5%

Children aged 0-14 make up 16% of the population in China and 28.4% in Nepal in 2024, compared to 28.8% and 41.5% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of China and Nepal compared.

Natural population change in China vs Nepal by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +0.31% in China and +1.37% in Nepal. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

China
Nepal

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
China Nepal
1960 -3,048,510 203,374
1961 2,496,047 209,917
1962 17,969,132 215,368
1963 22,742,225 219,586
1964 19,302,532 227,948
1965 20,296,950 233,726
1966 19,282,187 241,716
1967 19,263,662 249,240
1968 21,206,083 258,259
1969 20,760,332 264,560
1970 21,137,076 272,439
1971 19,622,980 280,752
1972 19,102,585 286,708
1973 18,423,727 288,750
1974 15,738,118 303,078
1975 14,378,237 312,479
1976 11,782,472 323,222
1977 11,378,068 332,843
1978 11,473,980 345,765
1979 11,250,148 355,597
1980 11,647,260 364,254
1981 14,461,027 374,145
1982 15,815,318 385,741
1983 13,599,789 399,103
1984 13,561,671 411,122
1985 14,987,830 423,240
1986 16,609,920 434,802
1987 18,005,821 449,400
1988 17,328,640 463,581
1989 16,824,495 478,771
1990 16,335,313 495,202
1991 14,937,124 512,233
1992 13,548,601 533,029
1993 13,493,138 561,549
1994 13,360,470 578,293
1995 12,711,220 591,283
1996 12,686,872 580,099
1997 12,374,554 565,882
1998 11,351,286 562,787
1999 10,247,372 557,847
2000 9,570,849 554,506
2001 8,839,358 542,118
2002 8,258,580 525,045
2003 7,743,284 516,575
2004 7,607,960 504,853
2005 7,678,911 489,093
2006 6,922,185 475,335
2007 6,813,465 464,780
2008 6,729,247 452,353
2009 6,483,236 441,290
2010 6,407,607 432,631
2011 8,245,065 429,957
2012 10,075,174 430,151
2013 8,043,116 424,804
2014 9,205,180 423,166
2015 6,788,911 410,565
2016 9,062,269 415,921
2017 7,790,880 406,219
2018 5,302,433 394,576
2019 4,673,713 387,113
2020 2,046,095 373,553
2021 480,203 351,165
2022 -847,305 379,021
2023 -2,087,851 368,450

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: China vs Nepal

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 142 deaths in Nepal.

China
Nepal
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
China Nepal
1985 125 1,186
1986 120 1,143
1987 114 1,088
1988 108 1,038
1989 104 973
1990 102 920
1991 92 850
1992 86 768
1993 80 703
1994 76 657
1995 71 625
1996 67 584
1997 63 550
1998 60 522
1999 58 512
2000 56 480
2001 52 443
2002 50 414
2003 47 387
2004 45 364
2005 42 344
2006 40 318
2007 38 309
2008 38 302
2009 35 299
2010 34 297
2011 33 286
2012 32 272
2013 30 258
2014 28 245
2015 26 236
2016 25 214
2017 24 197
2018 22 183
2019 21 170
2020 20 153
2021 21 173
2022 18 139
2023 16 142

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 0.62% in China and 2.65% in Nepal. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

China
Nepal

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 Nepal
1960 - 32.8%
1961 - 32.4%
1962 - 31.9%
1963 - 31.3%
1964 - 30.7%
1965 - 30%
1966 - 29.4%
1967 - 28.7%
1968 - 28%
1969 11.9% 27.3%
1970 11.3% 26.7%
1971 10.7% 26.2%
1972 10.2% 25.6%
1973 9.61% 25%
1974 9.05% 24.5%
1975 8.5% 23.9%
1976 7.97% 23.3%
1977 7.47% 22.7%
1978 7.01% 22.1%
1979 6.62% 21.5%
1980 6.28% 20.8%
1981 6% 20.2%
1982 5.78% 19.5%
1983 5.61% 18.8%
1984 5.5% 18.2%
1985 5.43% 17.5%
1986 5.4% 16.8%
1987 5.4% 16.1%
1988 5.4% 15.3%
1989 5.39% 14.6%
1990 5.37% 13.9%
1991 5.31% 13.2%
1992 5.22% 12.5%
1993 5.08% 11.8%
1994 4.93% 11.2%
1995 4.75% 10.6%
1996 4.56% 10%
1997 4.36% 9.44%
1998 4.14% 8.91%
1999 3.91% 8.4%
2000 3.67% 7.92%
2001 3.42% 7.48%
2002 3.15% 7.06%
2003 2.89% 6.69%
2004 2.64% 6.35%
2005 2.4% 6.04%
2006 2.19% 5.76%
2007 2.01% 5.51%
2008 1.85% 5.27%
2009 1.71% 5.05%
2010 1.58% 4.83%
2011 1.46% 4.62%
2012 1.35% 4.41%
2013 1.25% 4.21%
2014 1.15% 4.01%
2015 1.07% 3.82%
2016 0.99% 3.64%
2017 0.92% 3.46%
2018 0.86% 3.3%
2019 0.8% 3.14%
2020 0.75% 2.99%
2021 0.7% 2.86%
2022 0.66% 2.75%
2023 0.62% 2.65%

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Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs China vs Nepal
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