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Fertility & birth rates in Congo and Gambia

Updated on by Georank team

The Congo has an annual birth rate of 30.6 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 4.16 in the Congo and 4.01 in the Gambia — 3.63% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -31.7% in the Congo and by -35.9% in the Gambia — in 1960, it was 6.09 and 6.25, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • The Congo is ranked 28/196 by birth rate compared to 30/196 for the Gambia.
  • The mean age for first-time mothers is 19.6 years in the Congo, compared to 20.7 years in the Gambia.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 28.6 in the Congo — it's 29.8 in the Gambia.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 109.9 in the Congo vs 58.1 in the Gambia.
  • In the Congo, 24% 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 +2.43% in the Congo and +2.41% in the Gambia.

Birth rate data compared

Congo Gambia
Fertility rate 4.16 4.01
Birth rate 30.6 30.4
Birth rate rank 28/196 30/196
Age at first childbirth 19.6 years 20.7 years
Average age at childbearing 28.6 years 29.8 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 105.9 54.1
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 180.6 173
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 58.2 68.1
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 24% 24.5%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 18.3% 17.1%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 91.2% 83.8%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.24% 0.35%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 1.77% 2.37%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 2.76% 3.38%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 4.05% 4.41%
Population change due to births and deaths +150,486 +65,118
Natural population change rank 69/196 88/196
Natural population change rate +2.43% +2.41%
Population growth +2.43% +2.3%
Population growth rank 33/197 39/197
Life expectancy 66.2 years 66.3 years

Fertility rate in Congo vs Gambia 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 4.01 in the Gambia in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.

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

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

Congo
Factual

UN forecast
Gambia
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
Congo Gambia
1960 6.09 6.25
1961 6.09 6.23
1962 6.1 6.21
1963 6.15 6.2
1964 6.18 6.2
1965 6.23 6.19
1966 6.27 6.18
1967 6.29 6.21
1968 6.33 6.22
1969 6.35 6.25
1970 6.38 6.26
1971 6.42 6.33
1972 6.44 6.37
1973 6.42 6.41
1974 6.39 6.42
1975 6.36 6.43
1976 6.32 6.43
1977 6.27 6.43
1978 6.21 6.42
1979 6.14 6.41
1980 6.07 6.41
1981 5.98 6.4
1982 5.85 6.4
1983 5.76 6.39
1984 5.66 6.39
1985 5.59 6.36
1986 5.51 6.34
1987 5.46 6.3
1988 5.39 6.26
1989 5.33 6.25
1990 5.27 6.25
1991 5.22 6.19
1992 5.18 6.11
1993 5.13 6.03
1994 5.1 6.04
1995 5.07 5.99
1996 5.03 5.93
1997 5 5.85
1998 4.91 5.82
1999 4.81 5.77
2000 4.72 5.72
2001 4.67 5.67
2002 4.7 5.66
2003 4.7 5.66
2004 4.69 5.68
2005 4.67 5.71
2006 4.65 5.74
2007 4.65 5.69
2008 4.73 5.63
2009 4.81 5.57
2010 4.85 5.56
2011 4.83 5.54
2012 4.79 5.52
2013 4.73 5.39
2014 4.67 5.2
2015 4.61 5
2016 4.55 4.81
2017 4.5 4.61
2018 4.44 4.42
2019 4.38 4.33
2020 4.33 4.25
2021 4.28 4.17
2022 4.22 4.08
2023 4.16 4.01
2024 4.11 3.91
2025 4.05 3.8
2026 3.99 3.7
2027 3.93 3.6
2028 3.88 3.51
2029 3.83 3.41
2030 3.78 3.33
2031 3.73 3.24
2032 3.68 3.17
2033 3.64 3.1
2034 3.59 3.03
2035 3.54 2.97
2036 3.5 2.91
2037 3.46 2.86
2038 3.42 2.81
2039 3.38 2.76
2040 3.35 2.71
2041 3.31 2.67
2042 3.27 2.63
2043 3.24 2.59
2044 3.2 2.56
2045 3.16 2.52
2046 3.13 2.49
2047 3.09 2.46
2048 3.06 2.43
2049 3.03 2.4
2050 3 2.38

Children 0-14 years as share of population

Congo
Factual

UN forecast
Gambia
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
Congo Gambia
1960 42.7% 41%
1961 43% 40.8%
1962 43.3% 40.7%
1963 43.5% 40.8%
1964 43.7% 41%
1965 43.9% 41.3%
1966 44% 41.5%
1967 44.2% 41.6%
1968 44.3% 41.8%
1969 44.5% 41.9%
1970 44.7% 42%
1971 44.8% 42.1%
1972 45% 42.2%
1973 45.2% 42.3%
1974 45.4% 42.4%
1975 45.5% 42.6%
1976 45.7% 42.8%
1977 45.8% 43%
1978 45.8% 43.3%
1979 45.8% 43.5%
1980 45.7% 43.7%
1981 45.6% 44%
1982 45.4% 44.3%
1983 45.2% 44.6%
1984 45% 44.9%
1985 44.9% 45%
1986 44.7% 45.2%
1987 44.6% 45.4%
1988 44.5% 45.5%
1989 44.3% 45.6%
1990 44.2% 45.7%
1991 44% 45.8%
1992 43.8% 45.9%
1993 43.6% 46%
1994 43.4% 46.3%
1995 43.3% 46.5%
1996 43.2% 46.7%
1997 43.3% 46.9%
1998 43.3% 46.9%
1999 43.1% 46.9%
2000 42.5% 46.8%
2001 41.9% 46.7%
2002 41.9% 46.6%
2003 41.7% 46.4%
2004 41.4% 46.1%
2005 41.1% 45.9%
2006 40.9% 45.6%
2007 40.7% 45.3%
2008 40.7% 45.1%
2009 40.5% 44.8%
2010 40.4% 44.5%
2011 40.6% 44.3%
2012 41% 44.1%
2013 41.3% 43.9%
2014 41.7% 43.7%
2015 41.9% 43.6%
2016 42.1% 43.3%
2017 42.1% 43.1%
2018 42.1% 42.8%
2019 41.9% 42.4%
2020 41.8% 42%
2021 41.5% 41.6%
2022 41.3% 41.2%
2023 40.9% 40.7%
2024 40.4% 40.2%
2025 39.9% 39.7%
2026 39.4% 39.2%
2027 38.9% 38.5%
2028 38.4% 37.9%
2029 38% 37.3%
2030 37.6% 36.7%
2031 37.3% 36.2%
2032 37% 35.7%
2033 36.8% 35.2%
2034 36.6% 34.8%
2035 36.4% 34.3%
2036 36.2% 33.9%
2037 36% 33.4%
2038 35.8% 33%
2039 35.6% 32.5%
2040 35.5% 32.1%
2041 35.3% 31.7%
2042 35.1% 31.3%
2043 34.9% 30.9%
2044 34.7% 30.5%
2045 34.4% 30.2%
2046 34.2% 29.8%
2047 33.9% 29.5%
2048 33.6% 29.1%
2049 33.4% 28.8%
2050 33.1% 28.4%

Children aged 0-14 make up 40.4% of the population in the Congo and 40.2% in the Gambia in 2024, compared to 44.2% and 45.7% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of the Congo and the Gambia compared.

Natural population change in Congo vs Gambia by year

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

Congo
Gambia

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
Congo Gambia
1960 27,094 8,420
1961 28,220 8,778
1962 29,342 9,150
1963 30,832 9,493
1964 32,270 9,825
1965 33,865 10,162
1966 35,452 10,422
1967 36,866 10,823
1968 38,786 11,215
1969 40,532 11,670
1970 42,374 12,128
1971 44,431 12,842
1972 46,427 13,432
1973 48,017 14,046
1974 49,563 14,628
1975 51,155 15,256
1976 52,148 16,032
1977 53,179 16,773
1978 53,885 17,424
1979 54,723 18,543
1980 55,550 19,566
1981 56,603 20,156
1982 57,036 21,894
1983 58,120 23,175
1984 59,028 24,586
1985 60,359 25,795
1986 61,669 27,195
1987 63,183 28,452
1988 64,629 29,938
1989 65,944 31,504
1990 67,241 33,163
1991 68,534 34,584
1992 69,973 35,951
1993 71,119 37,302
1994 72,857 38,880
1995 74,189 39,681
1996 75,628 40,253
1997 66,149 40,742
1998 72,450 41,842
1999 76,204 42,533
2000 78,491 43,249
2001 84,876 44,154
2002 88,497 45,156
2003 91,326 46,473
2004 96,577 48,276
2005 101,344 50,010
2006 106,876 52,335
2007 112,459 53,653
2008 120,711 55,032
2009 126,904 56,575
2010 136,908 58,554
2011 140,371 60,571
2012 142,464 62,745
2013 142,080 63,510
2014 141,674 63,185
2015 141,539 62,832
2016 141,358 62,358
2017 141,973 61,665
2018 142,704 60,854
2019 139,513 61,701
2020 143,492 62,209
2021 144,241 62,239
2022 147,076 63,634
2023 150,486 65,118

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: Congo vs Gambia

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 354 deaths in the Gambia.

Congo
Gambia
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
Congo Gambia
1985 546 1,454
1986 535 1,401
1987 519 1,360
1988 510 1,302
1989 506 1,258
1990 505 1,207
1991 514 1,167
1992 531 1,115
1993 541 1,072
1994 551 1,039
1995 551 999
1996 545 956
1997 650 928
1998 597 867
1999 554 830
2000 509 810
2001 489 794
2002 464 772
2003 436 749
2004 400 719
2005 385 707
2006 394 682
2007 370 675
2008 395 653
2009 414 634
2010 382 632
2011 378 634
2012 374 628
2013 320 606
2014 302 561
2015 284 527
2016 263 490
2017 262 469
2018 259 450
2019 245 422
2020 247 400
2021 301 420
2022 241 365
2023 241 354

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 4.05% in the Congo and 4.41% in the Gambia. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

Congo
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
Congo Gambia
1960 19.4% 36.2%
1961 18.6% 35.5%
1962 18% 34.8%
1963 17.3% 34.1%
1964 16.7% 33.5%
1965 16.1% 32.8%
1966 15.6% 32.1%
1967 15.1% 31.5%
1968 14.6% 30.9%
1969 14.2% 30.2%
1970 13.7% 29.5%
1971 13.4% 28.9%
1972 13% 28.2%
1973 12.6% 27.5%
1974 12.4% 26.9%
1975 12.1% 26.2%
1976 11.8% 25.5%
1977 11.5% 24.9%
1978 11.2% 24.2%
1979 11% 23.6%
1980 10.7% 23%
1981 10.5% 22.3%
1982 10.2% 21.7%
1983 9.95% 21%
1984 9.68% 20.4%
1985 9.44% 19.7%
1986 9.25% 19.1%
1987 9.11% 18.4%
1988 9.04% 17.8%
1989 9.05% 17.2%
1990 9.15% 16.6%
1991 9.31% 16%
1992 9.54% 15.5%
1993 9.84% 14.9%
1994 10.2% 14.4%
1995 10.5% 13.9%
1996 10.9% 13.3%
1997 11.2% 12.8%
1998 11.4% 12.3%
1999 11.5% 11.8%
2000 11.4% 11.3%
2001 11.1% 10.9%
2002 10.6% 10.4%
2003 10% 9.95%
2004 9.35% 9.52%
2005 8.66% 9.11%
2006 8.02% 8.71%
2007 7.43% 8.33%
2008 6.95% 7.98%
2009 6.55% 7.64%
2010 6.25% 7.31%
2011 6.02% 7.01%
2012 5.82% 6.73%
2013 5.64% 6.45%
2014 5.45% 6.18%
2015 5.27% 5.93%
2016 5.09% 5.7%
2017 4.93% 5.47%
2018 4.77% 5.27%
2019 5.24% 5.07%
2020 4.47% 4.89%
2021 4.33% 4.72%
2022 4.19% 4.56%
2023 4.05% 4.41%

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs Congo vs Gambia
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