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Fertility & birth rates in Congo and Rwanda

Updated on by Georank team

The Congo has an annual birth rate of 30.6 births per 1,000 people, compared to 28.3 for Rwanda. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 4.16 in the Congo and 3.7 in Rwanda — 11% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -31.7% in the Congo and by -55.4% in Rwanda — in 1960, it was 6.09 and 8.28, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • The Congo is ranked 28/196 by birth rate compared to 38/196 for Rwanda.
  • The mean age for first-time mothers is 19.6 years in the Congo, compared to 23 years in Rwanda.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 28.6 in the Congo — it's 30.6 in Rwanda.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 109.9 in the Congo vs 30.8 in Rwanda.
  • In the Congo, 24% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 26.2% in Rwanda.
  • Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was +2.43% in the Congo and +2.24% in Rwanda.

Birth rate data compared

Congo Rwanda
Fertility rate 4.16 3.7
Birth rate 30.6 28.3
Birth rate rank 28/196 38/196
Age at first childbirth 19.6 years 23 years
Average age at childbearing 28.6 years 30.6 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 105.9 30.2
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 180.6 155.6
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 58.2 66.4
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 24% 26.2%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 18.3% 58.4%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 91.2% 94.2%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.24% 0.23%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 1.77% 1.81%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 2.76% 3.05%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 4.05% 4%
Population change due to births and deaths +150,486 +312,762
Natural population change rank 69/196 51/196
Natural population change rate +2.43% +2.24%
Population growth +2.43% +2.16%
Population growth rank 33/197 47/197
Life expectancy 66.2 years 68.2 years

Fertility rate in Congo vs Rwanda 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 3.7 in Rwanda in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.

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

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

Congo
Factual

UN forecast
Rwanda
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
Congo Rwanda
1960 6.09 8.28
1961 6.09 8.28
1962 6.1 8.27
1963 6.15 8.27
1964 6.18 8.27
1965 6.23 8.25
1966 6.27 8.23
1967 6.29 8.21
1968 6.33 8.19
1969 6.35 8.18
1970 6.38 8.15
1971 6.42 8.09
1972 6.44 8.09
1973 6.42 8.09
1974 6.39 8.1
1975 6.36 8.1
1976 6.32 8.12
1977 6.27 8.14
1978 6.21 8.16
1979 6.14 8.13
1980 6.07 8.12
1981 5.98 8.1
1982 5.85 8.06
1983 5.76 8
1984 5.66 7.91
1985 5.59 7.79
1986 5.51 7.61
1987 5.46 7.43
1988 5.39 7.23
1989 5.33 7.03
1990 5.27 6.8
1991 5.22 6.62
1992 5.18 6.54
1993 5.13 6.48
1994 5.1 6.42
1995 5.07 6.35
1996 5.03 6.29
1997 5 6.24
1998 4.91 6.17
1999 4.81 6.06
2000 4.72 5.97
2001 4.67 5.89
2002 4.7 5.82
2003 4.7 5.74
2004 4.69 5.64
2005 4.67 5.5
2006 4.65 5.34
2007 4.65 5.14
2008 4.73 4.92
2009 4.81 4.71
2010 4.85 4.52
2011 4.83 4.33
2012 4.79 4.2
2013 4.73 4.14
2014 4.67 4.12
2015 4.61 4.11
2016 4.55 4.11
2017 4.5 4.08
2018 4.44 4.05
2019 4.38 3.99
2020 4.33 3.91
2021 4.28 3.84
2022 4.22 3.78
2023 4.16 3.7
2024 4.11 3.64
2025 4.05 3.59
2026 3.99 3.54
2027 3.93 3.49
2028 3.88 3.43
2029 3.83 3.38
2030 3.78 3.33
2031 3.73 3.28
2032 3.68 3.24
2033 3.64 3.19
2034 3.59 3.15
2035 3.54 3.11
2036 3.5 3.07
2037 3.46 3.03
2038 3.42 2.99
2039 3.38 2.95
2040 3.35 2.92
2041 3.31 2.89
2042 3.27 2.85
2043 3.24 2.81
2044 3.2 2.78
2045 3.16 2.75
2046 3.13 2.72
2047 3.09 2.69
2048 3.06 2.67
2049 3.03 2.64
2050 3 2.61

Children 0-14 years as share of population

Congo
Factual

UN forecast
Rwanda
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
Congo Rwanda
1960 42.7% 49.2%
1961 43% 49.7%
1962 43.3% 50.2%
1963 43.5% 50.6%
1964 43.7% 50.8%
1965 43.9% 50.6%
1966 44% 50.2%
1967 44.2% 49.7%
1968 44.3% 49.2%
1969 44.5% 48.7%
1970 44.7% 48.2%
1971 44.8% 47.9%
1972 45% 47.5%
1973 45.2% 47.2%
1974 45.4% 46.9%
1975 45.5% 46.6%
1976 45.7% 46.4%
1977 45.8% 46.4%
1978 45.8% 46.4%
1979 45.8% 46.5%
1980 45.7% 46.8%
1981 45.6% 47.1%
1982 45.4% 47.4%
1983 45.2% 47.7%
1984 45% 48.1%
1985 44.9% 48.3%
1986 44.7% 48.6%
1987 44.6% 48.8%
1988 44.5% 48.9%
1989 44.3% 48.9%
1990 44.2% 49%
1991 44% 48.9%
1992 43.8% 48.7%
1993 43.6% 48.4%
1994 43.4% 50.1%
1995 43.3% 52.4%
1996 43.2% 51.4%
1997 43.3% 50.5%
1998 43.3% 49.2%
1999 43.1% 47.8%
2000 42.5% 46.4%
2001 41.9% 45.2%
2002 41.9% 44.3%
2003 41.7% 43.7%
2004 41.4% 43.3%
2005 41.1% 43.1%
2006 40.9% 42.9%
2007 40.7% 42.9%
2008 40.7% 42.8%
2009 40.5% 42.6%
2010 40.4% 42.4%
2011 40.6% 42.2%
2012 41% 41.9%
2013 41.3% 41.7%
2014 41.7% 41.4%
2015 41.9% 41.1%
2016 42.1% 40.9%
2017 42.1% 40.5%
2018 42.1% 40.1%
2019 41.9% 39.7%
2020 41.8% 39.2%
2021 41.5% 38.6%
2022 41.3% 38.2%
2023 40.9% 37.7%
2024 40.4% 37.4%
2025 39.9% 37%
2026 39.4% 36.7%
2027 38.9% 36.4%
2028 38.4% 36%
2029 38% 35.7%
2030 37.6% 35.4%
2031 37.3% 35%
2032 37% 34.7%
2033 36.8% 34.4%
2034 36.6% 34.1%
2035 36.4% 33.7%
2036 36.2% 33.4%
2037 36% 33.1%
2038 35.8% 32.9%
2039 35.6% 32.6%
2040 35.5% 32.3%
2041 35.3% 32%
2042 35.1% 31.7%
2043 34.9% 31.4%
2044 34.7% 31.1%
2045 34.4% 30.8%
2046 34.2% 30.5%
2047 33.9% 30.2%
2048 33.6% 29.9%
2049 33.4% 29.7%
2050 33.1% 29.4%

Children aged 0-14 make up 40.4% of the population in the Congo and 37.4% in Rwanda in 2024, compared to 44.2% and 49% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of the Congo and Rwanda compared.

Natural population change in Congo vs Rwanda by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +2.59% in the Congo and +2.45% in Rwanda. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

Congo
Rwanda

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
Congo Rwanda
1960 27,094 100,627
1961 28,220 102,051
1962 29,342 102,548
1963 30,832 94,296
1964 32,270 102,562
1965 33,865 103,422
1966 35,452 105,128
1967 36,866 108,053
1968 38,786 111,422
1969 40,532 115,394
1970 42,374 119,273
1971 44,431 122,567
1972 46,427 126,403
1973 48,017 131,021
1974 49,563 135,743
1975 51,155 140,596
1976 52,148 147,665
1977 53,179 155,011
1978 53,885 163,779
1979 54,723 174,477
1980 55,550 184,988
1981 56,603 195,769
1982 57,036 205,147
1983 58,120 212,750
1984 59,028 219,337
1985 60,359 223,794
1986 61,669 225,526
1987 63,183 225,744
1988 64,629 223,759
1989 65,944 217,632
1990 67,241 207,895
1991 68,534 196,431
1992 69,973 188,025
1993 71,119 183,926
1994 72,857 -719,479
1995 74,189 121,137
1996 75,628 140,455
1997 66,149 174,687
1998 72,450 197,185
1999 76,204 210,518
2000 78,491 221,276
2001 84,876 230,845
2002 88,497 239,036
2003 91,326 251,243
2004 96,577 265,273
2005 101,344 275,121
2006 106,876 282,149
2007 112,459 285,791
2008 120,711 287,334
2009 126,904 287,034
2010 136,908 286,848
2011 140,371 282,922
2012 142,464 282,584
2013 142,080 286,331
2014 141,674 292,779
2015 141,539 299,114
2016 141,358 305,549
2017 141,973 310,323
2018 142,704 312,512
2019 139,513 313,525
2020 143,492 312,692
2021 144,241 309,895
2022 147,076 312,145
2023 150,486 312,762

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: Congo vs Rwanda

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 229 deaths in Rwanda.

Congo
Rwanda
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
Congo Rwanda
1985 546 1,116
1986 535 1,126
1987 519 1,145
1988 510 1,188
1989 506 1,238
1990 505 1,309
1991 514 1,386
1992 531 1,530
1993 541 1,619
1994 551 5,721
1995 551 1,505
1996 545 1,295
1997 650 1,318
1998 597 1,268
1999 554 1,073
2000 509 885
2001 489 769
2002 464 677
2003 436 551
2004 400 460
2005 385 465
2006 394 494
2007 370 494
2008 395 454
2009 414 418
2010 382 393
2011 378 358
2012 374 331
2013 320 317
2014 302 301
2015 284 292
2016 263 278
2017 262 275
2018 259 269
2019 245 261
2020 247 252
2021 301 254
2022 241 234
2023 241 229

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 4.05% in the Congo and 4% in Rwanda. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

Congo
Rwanda

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 Rwanda
1960 19.4% 22.4%
1961 18.6% 21.9%
1962 18% 21.5%
1963 17.3% 21.3%
1964 16.7% 21.1%
1965 16.1% 21.1%
1966 15.6% 21.2%
1967 15.1% 21.4%
1968 14.6% 21.7%
1969 14.2% 22%
1970 13.7% 22.3%
1971 13.4% 22.6%
1972 13% 23%
1973 12.6% 23.4%
1974 12.4% 24%
1975 12.1% 24.6%
1976 11.8% 25.1%
1977 11.5% 25.1%
1978 11.2% 24.6%
1979 11% 23.4%
1980 10.7% 21.8%
1981 10.5% 20.1%
1982 10.2% 18.6%
1983 9.95% 17.4%
1984 9.68% 16.6%
1985 9.44% 16.1%
1986 9.25% 15.6%
1987 9.11% 15.2%
1988 9.04% 14.8%
1989 9.05% 14.8%
1990 9.15% 15.1%
1991 9.31% 16%
1992 9.54% 17.5%
1993 9.84% 19.3%
1994 10.2% 38.9%
1995 10.5% 21.8%
1996 10.9% 22.2%
1997 11.2% 22.2%
1998 11.4% 21.5%
1999 11.5% 20.2%
2000 11.4% 18.5%
2001 11.1% 16.7%
2002 10.6% 14.9%
2003 10% 13.3%
2004 9.35% 11.8%
2005 8.66% 10.5%
2006 8.02% 9.37%
2007 7.43% 8.45%
2008 6.95% 7.62%
2009 6.55% 6.92%
2010 6.25% 6.33%
2011 6.02% 5.81%
2012 5.82% 5.45%
2013 5.64% 5.17%
2014 5.45% 4.96%
2015 5.27% 4.78%
2016 5.09% 4.63%
2017 4.93% 4.52%
2018 4.77% 4.43%
2019 5.24% 4.34%
2020 4.47% 4.25%
2021 4.33% 4.16%
2022 4.19% 4.08%
2023 4.05% 4%

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs Congo vs Rwanda
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