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Fertility & birth rates in Congo and Eritrea

Updated on by Georank team

The Congo has an annual birth rate of 30.6 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 4.16 in the Congo and 3.71 in Eritrea — 10.7% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -31.7% in the Congo and by -42.7% in Eritrea — in 1960, it was 6.09 and 6.48, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • The Congo is ranked 28/196 by birth rate compared to 37/196 for Eritrea.
  • The mean age for first-time mothers is 19.6 years in the Congo, compared to 21.3 years in Eritrea.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 28.6 in the Congo — it's 29.1 in Eritrea.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 109.9 in the Congo vs 65.2 in Eritrea.
  • In the Congo, 24% 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 +2.43% in the Congo and +2.25% in Eritrea.

Birth rate data compared

Congo Eritrea
Fertility rate 4.16 3.71
Birth rate 30.6 28.5
Birth rate rank 28/196 37/196
Age at first childbirth 19.6 years 21.3 years
Average age at childbearing 28.6 years 29.1 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 105.9 64.2
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 180.6 170.8
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 58.2 51.8
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 24% 24.8%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 18.3% 7.1%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 91.2% 34.1%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.24% 0.29%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 1.77% 1.64%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 2.76% 2.55%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 4.05% 3.54%
Population change due to births and deaths +150,486 +78,073
Natural population change rank 69/196 84/196
Natural population change rate +2.43% +2.25%
Population growth +2.43% +1.88%
Population growth rank 33/197 60/197
Life expectancy 66.2 years 69.2 years

Fertility rate in Congo vs Eritrea chart

According to the latest available data on birth rates, the fertility rate in the Congo was 4.16 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 the Congo vs Eritrea population clock for a dynamic visualization of the changing population.

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

Congo
Factual

UN forecast
Eritrea
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
Congo Eritrea
1960 6.09 6.48
1961 6.09 6.47
1962 6.1 6.5
1963 6.15 6.48
1964 6.18 6.49
1965 6.23 6.49
1966 6.27 6.5
1967 6.29 6.5
1968 6.33 6.5
1969 6.35 6.5
1970 6.38 6.54
1971 6.42 6.54
1972 6.44 6.54
1973 6.42 6.55
1974 6.39 6.57
1975 6.36 6.59
1976 6.32 6.6
1977 6.27 6.61
1978 6.21 6.61
1979 6.14 6.62
1980 6.07 6.61
1981 5.98 6.62
1982 5.85 6.63
1983 5.76 6.65
1984 5.66 6.62
1985 5.59 6.59
1986 5.51 6.56
1987 5.46 6.52
1988 5.39 6.47
1989 5.33 6.41
1990 5.27 6.34
1991 5.22 6.24
1992 5.18 6.16
1993 5.13 6.07
1994 5.1 6.01
1995 5.07 5.94
1996 5.03 5.84
1997 5 5.74
1998 4.91 5.63
1999 4.81 5.52
2000 4.72 5.4
2001 4.67 5.31
2002 4.7 5.23
2003 4.7 5.14
2004 4.69 5.04
2005 4.67 4.93
2006 4.65 4.88
2007 4.65 4.81
2008 4.73 4.74
2009 4.81 4.66
2010 4.85 4.57
2011 4.83 4.49
2012 4.79 4.41
2013 4.73 4.34
2014 4.67 4.27
2015 4.61 4.22
2016 4.55 4.16
2017 4.5 4.11
2018 4.44 4.06
2019 4.38 4
2020 4.33 3.93
2021 4.28 3.87
2022 4.22 3.79
2023 4.16 3.71
2024 4.11 3.68
2025 4.05 3.61
2026 3.99 3.55
2027 3.93 3.49
2028 3.88 3.43
2029 3.83 3.38
2030 3.78 3.32
2031 3.73 3.27
2032 3.68 3.22
2033 3.64 3.18
2034 3.59 3.13
2035 3.54 3.09
2036 3.5 3.04
2037 3.46 3.01
2038 3.42 2.97
2039 3.38 2.93
2040 3.35 2.9
2041 3.31 2.86
2042 3.27 2.83
2043 3.24 2.8
2044 3.2 2.77
2045 3.16 2.74
2046 3.13 2.71
2047 3.09 2.68
2048 3.06 2.65
2049 3.03 2.63
2050 3 2.6

Children 0-14 years as share of population

Congo
Factual

UN forecast
Eritrea
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
Congo Eritrea
1960 42.7% 41.5%
1961 43% 41.4%
1962 43.3% 41.4%
1963 43.5% 41.5%
1964 43.7% 41.6%
1965 43.9% 41.8%
1966 44% 42.1%
1967 44.2% 42.4%
1968 44.3% 42.8%
1969 44.5% 43%
1970 44.7% 43.3%
1971 44.8% 43.6%
1972 45% 43.8%
1973 45.2% 44%
1974 45.4% 44.1%
1975 45.5% 44.1%
1976 45.7% 44.2%
1977 45.8% 44.3%
1978 45.8% 44.3%
1979 45.8% 44.4%
1980 45.7% 44.4%
1981 45.6% 44.4%
1982 45.4% 44.4%
1983 45.2% 44.4%
1984 45% 44.2%
1985 44.9% 44.1%
1986 44.7% 44%
1987 44.6% 44%
1988 44.5% 44.2%
1989 44.3% 44.3%
1990 44.2% 44.5%
1991 44% 44.6%
1992 43.8% 44.7%
1993 43.6% 44.5%
1994 43.4% 44.4%
1995 43.3% 43.5%
1996 43.2% 42.9%
1997 43.3% 43.7%
1998 43.3% 44.4%
1999 43.1% 44.9%
2000 42.5% 45.2%
2001 41.9% 45%
2002 41.9% 44.4%
2003 41.7% 43.7%
2004 41.4% 43%
2005 41.1% 42.9%
2006 40.9% 43.1%
2007 40.7% 43.3%
2008 40.7% 43%
2009 40.5% 42.7%
2010 40.4% 42.6%
2011 40.6% 42.3%
2012 41% 42.1%
2013 41.3% 42%
2014 41.7% 42%
2015 41.9% 42.1%
2016 42.1% 42.1%
2017 42.1% 41.9%
2018 42.1% 41.5%
2019 41.9% 41%
2020 41.8% 40.4%
2021 41.5% 39.8%
2022 41.3% 39.2%
2023 40.9% 38.7%
2024 40.4% 38.1%
2025 39.9% 37.6%
2026 39.4% 37.1%
2027 38.9% 36.6%
2028 38.4% 36.3%
2029 38% 35.9%
2030 37.6% 35.7%
2031 37.3% 35.5%
2032 37% 35.3%
2033 36.8% 35.2%
2034 36.6% 35%
2035 36.4% 34.8%
2036 36.2% 34.7%
2037 36% 34.4%
2038 35.8% 34.2%
2039 35.6% 34%
2040 35.5% 33.7%
2041 35.3% 33.4%
2042 35.1% 33.1%
2043 34.9% 32.7%
2044 34.7% 32.3%
2045 34.4% 31.9%
2046 34.2% 31.5%
2047 33.9% 31.1%
2048 33.6% 30.7%
2049 33.4% 30.3%
2050 33.1% 29.9%

Children aged 0-14 make up 40.4% of the population in the Congo and 38.1% in Eritrea in 2024, compared to 44.2% and 44.5% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of the Congo and Eritrea compared.

Natural population change in Congo vs Eritrea by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +2.59% in the Congo and +2.29% in Eritrea. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

Congo
Eritrea

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
Congo Eritrea
1960 27,094 21,424
1961 28,220 22,351
1962 29,342 23,478
1963 30,832 24,393
1964 32,270 25,327
1965 33,865 26,285
1966 35,452 24,713
1967 36,866 27,992
1968 38,786 28,777
1969 40,532 29,535
1970 42,374 30,686
1971 44,431 31,490
1972 46,427 30,951
1973 48,017 31,969
1974 49,563 30,111
1975 51,155 30,971
1976 52,148 36,250
1977 53,179 37,295
1978 53,885 38,353
1979 54,723 39,577
1980 55,550 41,392
1981 56,603 42,924
1982 57,036 44,146
1983 58,120 33,420
1984 59,028 35,101
1985 60,359 37,362
1986 61,669 39,470
1987 63,183 52,229
1988 64,629 54,163
1989 65,944 54,299
1990 67,241 56,903
1991 68,534 57,741
1992 69,973 51,443
1993 71,119 51,679
1994 72,857 56,288
1995 74,189 56,157
1996 75,628 66,557
1997 66,149 63,953
1998 72,450 55,332
1999 76,204 45,120
2000 78,491 60,274
2001 84,876 61,180
2002 88,497 65,436
2003 91,326 66,291
2004 96,577 72,147
2005 101,344 72,930
2006 106,876 74,470
2007 112,459 73,101
2008 120,711 73,391
2009 126,904 76,206
2010 136,908 76,098
2011 140,371 76,806
2012 142,464 76,416
2013 142,080 75,562
2014 141,674 75,729
2015 141,539 73,682
2016 141,358 73,002
2017 141,973 72,291
2018 142,704 72,511
2019 139,513 73,572
2020 143,492 73,362
2021 144,241 74,394
2022 147,076 76,221
2023 150,486 78,073

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: Congo vs Eritrea

The maternal mortality rate, which is the probability of dying during childbirth or within 42 days of pregnancy termination, is 241 deaths per 100,000 live births in the Congo, compared to 291 deaths in Eritrea.

Congo
Eritrea
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
Congo Eritrea
1985 546 1,678
1986 535 1,625
1987 519 1,555
1988 510 1,499
1989 506 1,473
1990 505 1,352
1991 514 1,384
1992 531 1,149
1993 541 1,040
1994 551 998
1995 551 854
1996 545 878
1997 650 817
1998 597 865
1999 554 734
2000 509 741
2001 489 651
2002 464 636
2003 436 588
2004 400 588
2005 385 567
2006 394 555
2007 370 541
2008 395 530
2009 414 515
2010 382 498
2011 378 478
2012 374 458
2013 320 443
2014 302 430
2015 284 413
2016 263 395
2017 262 379
2018 259 363
2019 245 351
2020 247 334
2021 301 338
2022 241 301
2023 241 291

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 4.05% in the Congo and 3.54% in Eritrea. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

Congo
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
Congo Eritrea
1960 19.4% -
1961 18.6% -
1962 18% -
1963 17.3% -
1964 16.7% -
1965 16.1% -
1966 15.6% -
1967 15.1% -
1968 14.6% -
1969 14.2% -
1970 13.7% -
1971 13.4% -
1972 13% -
1973 12.6% -
1974 12.4% 25.6%
1975 12.1% 25%
1976 11.8% 20.8%
1977 11.5% 20.4%
1978 11.2% 20%
1979 11% 19.7%
1980 10.7% 19.4%
1981 10.5% 19.1%
1982 10.2% 18.8%
1983 9.95% 27.8%
1984 9.68% 27.2%
1985 9.44% 26.2%
1986 9.25% 25.6%
1987 9.11% 17.1%
1988 9.04% 16.6%
1989 9.05% 16%
1990 9.15% 15.4%
1991 9.31% 14.7%
1992 9.54% 13.9%
1993 9.84% 13.1%
1994 10.2% 12.3%
1995 10.5% 11.5%
1996 10.9% 10.8%
1997 11.2% 10.1%
1998 11.4% 9.51%
1999 11.5% 10.9%
2000 11.4% 8.53%
2001 11.1% 8.11%
2002 10.6% 7.73%
2003 10% 7.38%
2004 9.35% 7.05%
2005 8.66% 6.75%
2006 8.02% 6.46%
2007 7.43% 6.19%
2008 6.95% 5.94%
2009 6.55% 5.71%
2010 6.25% 5.5%
2011 6.02% 5.31%
2012 5.82% 5.12%
2013 5.64% 4.94%
2014 5.45% 4.78%
2015 5.27% 4.61%
2016 5.09% 4.46%
2017 4.93% 4.32%
2018 4.77% 4.17%
2019 5.24% 4.03%
2020 4.47% 3.91%
2021 4.33% 3.79%
2022 4.19% 3.66%
2023 4.05% 3.54%

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs Congo vs Eritrea
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