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Fertility & birth rates in Croatia and Lesotho

Updated on by Georank team

Croatia has an annual birth rate of 8.3 births per 1,000 people, compared to 24.1 for Lesotho. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 1.46 in Croatia and 2.69 in Lesotho — 84.5% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -34.8% in Croatia and by -53.4% in Lesotho — in 1960, it was 2.24 and 5.78, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • Croatia is ranked 171/196 by birth rate compared to 56/196 for Lesotho.
  • The mean age for first-time mothers is 29.3 years in Croatia, compared to 20.9 years in Lesotho.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 30.9 in Croatia — it's 27.9 in Lesotho.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 6.57 in Croatia vs 70.6 in Lesotho.
  • In Croatia, 20.4% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 27.8% in Lesotho.
  • Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was -0.5% in Croatia and +1.35% in Lesotho.

Birth rate data compared

Croatia Lesotho
Fertility rate 1.46 2.69
Birth rate 8.3 24.1
Birth rate rank 171/196 56/196
Age at first childbirth 29.3 years 20.9 years
Average age at childbearing 30.9 years 27.9 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 6 69.1
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 61.3 134.4
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 12.7 38.1
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 20.4% 27.8%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 n/a 65.3%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 99.9% 86.6%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.003% 0.48%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 0.28% 2.87%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 0.39% 5.54%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 0.46% 5.89%
Population change due to births and deaths -19,298 +31,115
Natural population change rank 177/196 103/196
Natural population change rate -0.5% +1.35%
Population growth +0.17% +1.12%
Population growth rank 155/197 96/197
Life expectancy 78.9 years 58.2 years

Fertility rate in Croatia vs Lesotho chart

According to the latest available data on birth rates, the fertility rate in Croatia was 1.46 children per woman in 2023, compared to 2.69 in Lesotho in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.

Check Croatia vs Lesotho population clock for a dynamic visualization of the changing population.

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

Croatia
Factual

UN forecast
Lesotho
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
Croatia Lesotho
1960 2.24 5.78
1961 2.22 5.79
1962 2.19 5.79
1963 2.15 5.78
1964 2.14 5.77
1965 2.22 5.77
1966 2.23 5.76
1967 2.1 5.75
1968 2.03 5.73
1969 1.95 5.7
1970 1.88 5.7
1971 1.97 5.7
1972 2.01 5.69
1973 2.01 5.69
1974 1.98 5.75
1975 1.95 5.83
1976 1.94 5.87
1977 1.95 5.85
1978 1.96 5.82
1979 1.95 5.79
1980 1.93 5.75
1981 1.93 5.69
1982 1.9 5.63
1983 1.88 5.56
1984 1.87 5.48
1985 1.82 5.4
1986 1.76 5.32
1987 1.64 5.22
1988 1.79 5.1
1989 1.63 4.96
1990 1.63 4.81
1991 1.53 4.68
1992 1.48 4.54
1993 1.52 4.37
1994 1.47 4.21
1995 1.58 4.13
1996 1.67 4.06
1997 1.69 3.98
1998 1.45 3.82
1999 1.38 3.67
2000 1.39 3.61
2001 1.46 3.63
2002 1.42 3.68
2003 1.41 3.62
2004 1.43 3.51
2005 1.5 3.43
2006 1.47 3.41
2007 1.48 3.44
2008 1.47 3.39
2009 1.5 3.31
2010 1.46 3.25
2011 1.41 3.34
2012 1.52 3.3
2013 1.46 3.28
2014 1.46 3.24
2015 1.41 3.22
2016 1.43 3.18
2017 1.42 3.11
2018 1.47 3.02
2019 1.47 2.92
2020 1.48 2.85
2021 1.62 2.77
2022 1.53 2.72
2023 1.46 2.69
2024 1.46 2.66
2025 1.47 2.64
2026 1.46 2.61
2027 1.47 2.58
2028 1.47 2.55
2029 1.47 2.53
2030 1.47 2.5
2031 1.48 2.47
2032 1.48 2.45
2033 1.48 2.43
2034 1.48 2.41
2035 1.49 2.38
2036 1.49 2.37
2037 1.49 2.34
2038 1.49 2.32
2039 1.49 2.3
2040 1.49 2.29
2041 1.5 2.27
2042 1.5 2.25
2043 1.5 2.24
2044 1.5 2.22
2045 1.5 2.21
2046 1.51 2.19
2047 1.51 2.18
2048 1.51 2.17
2049 1.51 2.16
2050 1.51 2.14

Children 0-14 years as share of population

Croatia
Factual

UN forecast
Lesotho
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
Croatia Lesotho
1960 27% 45.1%
1961 26.9% 45.2%
1962 26.8% 45.3%
1963 26.5% 45.2%
1964 26.1% 44.9%
1965 25.7% 44.8%
1966 25.2% 44.9%
1967 24.8% 44.8%
1968 24.3% 44.4%
1969 23.7% 44%
1970 23.2% 43.6%
1971 22.8% 43.1%
1972 22.4% 42.7%
1973 22.2% 42.3%
1974 22% 41.9%
1975 21.8% 41.6%
1976 21.6% 41.4%
1977 21.4% 41.5%
1978 21.3% 41.7%
1979 21.2% 41.9%
1980 21.1% 42.1%
1981 21% 42.3%
1982 21% 42.5%
1983 20.9% 42.7%
1984 20.9% 42.8%
1985 20.8% 43%
1986 20.7% 42.7%
1987 20.5% 42.5%
1988 20.3% 42.7%
1989 20.1% 42.8%
1990 19.8% 42.9%
1991 19.5% 42.9%
1992 19.2% 42.8%
1993 18.8% 42.6%
1994 18.4% 42.3%
1995 18% 42%
1996 17.7% 41.7%
1997 17.5% 41.2%
1998 17.3% 40.7%
1999 17.1% 40.2%
2000 16.9% 39.6%
2001 16.7% 39.1%
2002 16.5% 38.6%
2003 16.3% 38.1%
2004 16% 37.7%
2005 15.8% 37.4%
2006 15.7% 37.1%
2007 15.5% 36.8%
2008 15.4% 36.7%
2009 15.4% 36.6%
2010 15.3% 36.5%
2011 15.1% 36.5%
2012 15% 36.5%
2013 14.8% 36.5%
2014 14.7% 36.6%
2015 14.6% 36.6%
2016 14.6% 36.6%
2017 14.6% 36.5%
2018 14.6% 36.3%
2019 14.5% 36.1%
2020 14.5% 35.8%
2021 14.4% 35.6%
2022 14.3% 35.3%
2023 14.1% 34.9%
2024 13.9% 34.5%
2025 13.7% 34.1%
2026 13.5% 33.6%
2027 13.3% 33.1%
2028 13.2% 32.6%
2029 13.1% 32%
2030 13% 31.5%
2031 12.9% 31%
2032 12.8% 30.5%
2033 12.8% 30.1%
2034 12.7% 29.7%
2035 12.7% 29.3%
2036 12.6% 29%
2037 12.6% 28.8%
2038 12.6% 28.5%
2039 12.6% 28.3%
2040 12.6% 28.1%
2041 12.6% 27.8%
2042 12.6% 27.6%
2043 12.7% 27.4%
2044 12.7% 27.1%
2045 12.7% 26.9%
2046 12.7% 26.7%
2047 12.8% 26.4%
2048 12.8% 26.2%
2049 12.8% 25.9%
2050 12.7% 25.7%

Children aged 0-14 make up 13.9% of the population in Croatia and 34.5% in Lesotho in 2024, compared to 19.8% and 42.9% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of Croatia and Lesotho compared.

Natural population change in Croatia vs Lesotho by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been -0.45% in Croatia and +1.44% in Lesotho. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

Croatia
Lesotho

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
Croatia Lesotho
1960 34,778 19,981
1961 36,255 20,581
1962 30,216 21,132
1963 31,270 21,585
1964 25,942 22,116
1965 31,251 22,755
1966 33,192 23,326
1967 26,032 23,911
1968 21,828 24,490
1969 16,688 25,137
1970 16,767 25,935
1971 19,941 26,838
1972 17,802 27,841
1973 21,904 28,859
1974 22,453 30,444
1975 21,658 32,311
1976 22,226 34,117
1977 22,798 35,654
1978 20,157 37,084
1979 21,136 38,440
1980 17,939 39,617
1981 15,680 40,808
1982 15,756 41,941
1983 10,714 42,899
1984 10,764 43,785
1985 10,343 44,575
1986 8,499 45,232
1987 6,161 47,718
1988 5,707 47,158
1989 3,337 46,264
1990 3,344 45,060
1991 -2,813 44,026
1992 -4,576 42,579
1993 -2,301 40,505
1994 -930 38,629
1995 0 37,370
1996 3,190 36,228
1997 3,175 34,637
1998 -4,985 30,889
1999 -6,769 27,393
2000 -6,255 24,786
2001 -8,599 23,190
2002 -10,325 22,274
2003 -12,480 20,133
2004 -9,040 17,271
2005 -9,022 15,831
2006 -8,669 15,234
2007 -10,335 17,763
2008 -8,188 19,349
2009 -7,319 20,335
2010 -8,591 21,877
2011 -9,846 25,647
2012 -9,799 27,592
2013 -10,162 29,789
2014 -11,345 30,922
2015 -16,607 32,087
2016 -13,553 33,390
2017 -16,570 33,601
2018 -15,557 33,112
2019 -15,008 32,279
2020 -20,354 30,721
2021 -26,377 27,806
2022 -23,134 30,803
2023 -19,298 31,115

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: Croatia vs Lesotho

The maternal mortality rate, which is the probability of dying during childbirth or within 42 days of pregnancy termination, is 3 deaths per 100,000 live births in Croatia, compared to 478 deaths in Lesotho.

Croatia
Lesotho
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
Croatia Lesotho
1985 10 711
1986 10 680
1987 10 686
1988 10 680
1989 9 680
1990 10 665
1991 10 641
1992 10 601
1993 9 542
1994 9 423
1995 9 357
1996 9 319
1997 9 312
1998 8 332
1999 8 371
2000 8 413
2001 7 465
2002 7 484
2003 8 508
2004 7 499
2005 7 549
2006 6 696
2007 6 891
2008 6 1,205
2009 6 1,387
2010 6 1,311
2011 5 1,210
2012 5 1,000
2013 5 855
2014 4 707
2015 4 594
2016 4 518
2017 4 468
2018 3 491
2019 4 467
2020 5 529
2021 12 577
2022 6 477
2023 3 478

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 0.46% in Croatia and 5.89% in Lesotho. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

Croatia
Lesotho

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
Croatia Lesotho
1960 - 18.6%
1961 - 18.5%
1962 - 18.5%
1963 - 18.6%
1964 - 18.6%
1965 - 18.7%
1966 - 18.6%
1967 - 18.5%
1968 - 18.3%
1969 - 18%
1970 - 17.7%
1971 - 17.3%
1972 - 16.9%
1973 - 16.5%
1974 - 16%
1975 - 15.5%
1976 - 14.9%
1977 - 14.2%
1978 - 13.6%
1979 - 12.9%
1980 - 12.3%
1981 2.19% 11.7%
1982 2.09% 11.1%
1983 2% 10.6%
1984 1.91% 10.1%
1985 1.8% 9.72%
1986 1.69% 9.36%
1987 1.59% 9.06%
1988 1.48% 8.8%
1989 1.38% 8.6%
1990 1.29% 8.47%
1991 1.39% 8.43%
1992 1.15% 8.51%
1993 1.09% 8.73%
1994 1.04% 9.07%
1995 1% 9.45%
1996 0.96% 9.83%
1997 0.93% 10.2%
1998 0.9% 10.5%
1999 0.86% 10.7%
2000 0.83% 10.9%
2001 0.8% 11.1%
2002 0.77% 11.2%
2003 0.82% 11.4%
2004 0.71% 11.5%
2005 0.67% 11.6%
2006 0.64% 11.5%
2007 0.61% 11.2%
2008 0.59% 10.9%
2009 0.57% 9.64%
2010 0.55% 9.01%
2011 0.53% 8.59%
2012 0.52% 8.26%
2013 0.51% 8.02%
2014 0.5% 7.82%
2015 0.49% 7.51%
2016 0.49% 7.18%
2017 0.48% 7.12%
2018 0.48% 6.91%
2019 0.47% 6.87%
2020 0.47% 6.68%
2021 0.46% 6.44%
2022 0.46% 6.15%
2023 0.46% 5.89%

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Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs Croatia vs Lesotho
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