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Fertility & birth rates in Eritrea and Namibia

Updated on by Georank team

Eritrea has an annual birth rate of 28.5 births per 1,000 people, compared to 25.9 for Namibia. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 3.71 in Eritrea and 3.21 in Namibia — 13.5% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -42.7% in Eritrea and by -48.6% in Namibia — in 1960, it was 6.48 and 6.24, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • Eritrea is ranked 37/196 by birth rate compared to 49/196 for Namibia.
  • The mean age for first-time mothers is 21.3 years in Eritrea, compared to 21.6 years in Namibia.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 29.1 in Eritrea — it's 28.9 in Namibia.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 65.2 in Eritrea vs 66 in Namibia.
  • In Eritrea, 24.8% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 25.7% in Namibia.
  • Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was +2.25% in Eritrea and +1.97% in Namibia.

Birth rate data compared

Eritrea Namibia
Fertility rate 3.71 3.21
Birth rate 28.5 25.9
Birth rate rank 37/196 49/196
Age at first childbirth 21.3 years 21.6 years
Average age at childbearing 29.1 years 28.9 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 64.2 64.8
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 170.8 147.3
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 51.8 50.3
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 24.8% 25.7%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 7.1% 55.3%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 34.1% 88.2%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.29% 0.14%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 1.64% 2.41%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 2.55% 3.84%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 3.54% 4.07%
Population change due to births and deaths +78,073 +58,435
Natural population change rank 84/196 90/196
Natural population change rate +2.25% +1.97%
Population growth +1.88% +2.26%
Population growth rank 60/197 43/197
Life expectancy 69.2 years 67.7 years

Fertility rate in Eritrea vs Namibia chart

According to the latest available data on birth rates, the fertility rate in Eritrea was 3.71 children per woman in 2023, compared to 3.21 in Namibia in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.

Check Eritrea vs Namibia population clock for a dynamic visualization of the changing population.

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

Eritrea
Factual

UN forecast
Namibia
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
Eritrea Namibia
1960 6.48 6.24
1961 6.47 6.29
1962 6.5 6.35
1963 6.48 6.41
1964 6.49 6.43
1965 6.49 6.45
1966 6.5 6.47
1967 6.5 6.49
1968 6.5 6.5
1969 6.5 6.51
1970 6.54 6.52
1971 6.54 6.52
1972 6.54 6.53
1973 6.55 6.54
1974 6.57 6.55
1975 6.59 6.53
1976 6.6 6.49
1977 6.61 6.44
1978 6.61 6.38
1979 6.62 6.31
1980 6.61 6.24
1981 6.62 6.16
1982 6.63 6.08
1983 6.65 6
1984 6.62 5.94
1985 6.59 5.88
1986 6.56 5.79
1987 6.52 5.7
1988 6.47 5.61
1989 6.41 5.52
1990 6.34 5.4
1991 6.24 5.29
1992 6.16 5.11
1993 6.07 4.91
1994 6.01 4.68
1995 5.94 4.42
1996 5.84 4.2
1997 5.74 4.17
1998 5.63 4.18
1999 5.52 4.14
2000 5.4 3.99
2001 5.31 3.83
2002 5.23 3.69
2003 5.14 3.58
2004 5.04 3.55
2005 4.93 3.57
2006 4.88 3.6
2007 4.81 3.61
2008 4.74 3.62
2009 4.66 3.63
2010 4.57 3.66
2011 4.49 3.66
2012 4.41 3.68
2013 4.34 3.65
2014 4.27 3.64
2015 4.22 3.6
2016 4.16 3.57
2017 4.11 3.51
2018 4.06 3.46
2019 4 3.4
2020 3.93 3.35
2021 3.87 3.3
2022 3.79 3.25
2023 3.71 3.21
2024 3.68 3.21
2025 3.61 3.17
2026 3.55 3.13
2027 3.49 3.09
2028 3.43 3.06
2029 3.38 3.02
2030 3.32 2.98
2031 3.27 2.94
2032 3.22 2.91
2033 3.18 2.88
2034 3.13 2.84
2035 3.09 2.81
2036 3.04 2.78
2037 3.01 2.75
2038 2.97 2.72
2039 2.93 2.68
2040 2.9 2.66
2041 2.86 2.63
2042 2.83 2.6
2043 2.8 2.58
2044 2.77 2.56
2045 2.74 2.53
2046 2.71 2.51
2047 2.68 2.49
2048 2.65 2.47
2049 2.63 2.45
2050 2.6 2.43

Children 0-14 years as share of population

Eritrea
Factual

UN forecast
Namibia
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
Eritrea Namibia
1960 41.5% 42.2%
1961 41.4% 42.4%
1962 41.4% 42.6%
1963 41.5% 42.7%
1964 41.6% 42.9%
1965 41.8% 43%
1966 42.1% 43.2%
1967 42.4% 43.3%
1968 42.8% 43.5%
1969 43% 43.6%
1970 43.3% 43.8%
1971 43.6% 43.9%
1972 43.8% 44.1%
1973 44% 44.3%
1974 44.1% 44.6%
1975 44.1% 44.8%
1976 44.2% 45%
1977 44.3% 45.3%
1978 44.3% 45.9%
1979 44.4% 46.3%
1980 44.4% 46.6%
1981 44.4% 47.1%
1982 44.4% 47.2%
1983 44.4% 46.9%
1984 44.2% 46.6%
1985 44.1% 46.2%
1986 44% 45.8%
1987 44% 45.3%
1988 44.2% 44.8%
1989 44.3% 43.4%
1990 44.5% 42.3%
1991 44.6% 42.2%
1992 44.7% 42.2%
1993 44.5% 42.2%
1994 44.4% 42.2%
1995 43.5% 42.1%
1996 42.9% 42%
1997 43.7% 41.9%
1998 44.4% 41.8%
1999 44.9% 41.7%
2000 45.2% 41.5%
2001 45% 41.3%
2002 44.4% 41%
2003 43.7% 40.5%
2004 43% 40%
2005 42.9% 39.4%
2006 43.1% 38.7%
2007 43.3% 38.1%
2008 43% 37.5%
2009 42.7% 37.1%
2010 42.6% 36.8%
2011 42.3% 36.7%
2012 42.1% 36.6%
2013 42% 36.6%
2014 42% 36.5%
2015 42.1% 36.5%
2016 42.1% 36.5%
2017 41.9% 36.7%
2018 41.5% 36.8%
2019 41% 37%
2020 40.4% 37.1%
2021 39.8% 37.4%
2022 39.2% 37.5%
2023 38.7% 37.3%
2024 38.1% 37%
2025 37.6% 36.7%
2026 37.1% 36.3%
2027 36.6% 35.9%
2028 36.3% 35.5%
2029 35.9% 35.1%
2030 35.7% 34.6%
2031 35.5% 34%
2032 35.3% 33.5%
2033 35.2% 32.9%
2034 35% 32.4%
2035 34.8% 31.8%
2036 34.7% 31.1%
2037 34.4% 30.6%
2038 34.2% 30.3%
2039 34% 30%
2040 33.7% 29.7%
2041 33.4% 29.5%
2042 33.1% 29.2%
2043 32.7% 29%
2044 32.3% 28.8%
2045 31.9% 28.5%
2046 31.5% 28.3%
2047 31.1% 28.1%
2048 30.7% 27.9%
2049 30.3% 27.7%
2050 29.9% 27.5%

Children aged 0-14 make up 38.1% of the population in Eritrea and 37% in Namibia in 2024, compared to 44.5% and 42.3% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of Eritrea and Namibia compared.

Natural population change in Eritrea vs Namibia by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +2.29% in Eritrea and +2.04% in Namibia. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

Eritrea
Namibia

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
Eritrea Namibia
1960 21,424 14,307
1961 22,351 14,936
1962 23,478 15,656
1963 24,393 16,430
1964 25,327 17,134
1965 26,285 17,902
1966 24,713 18,635
1967 27,992 19,498
1968 28,777 20,470
1969 29,535 21,387
1970 30,686 22,414
1971 31,490 23,467
1972 30,951 24,606
1973 31,969 25,754
1974 30,111 26,844
1975 30,971 27,882
1976 36,250 28,785
1977 37,295 29,241
1978 38,353 29,821
1979 39,577 28,930
1980 41,392 28,142
1981 42,924 27,938
1982 44,146 27,474
1983 33,420 28,307
1984 35,101 29,395
1985 37,362 30,575
1986 39,470 31,764
1987 52,229 33,340
1988 54,163 34,798
1989 54,299 37,715
1990 56,903 43,956
1991 57,741 44,523
1992 51,443 43,945
1993 51,679 42,861
1994 56,288 41,316
1995 56,157 39,119
1996 66,557 37,177
1997 63,953 37,256
1998 55,332 37,500
1999 45,120 37,233
2000 60,274 35,280
2001 61,180 32,942
2002 65,436 31,947
2003 66,291 31,115
2004 72,147 31,478
2005 72,930 32,909
2006 74,470 34,690
2007 73,101 36,430
2008 73,391 38,147
2009 76,206 39,942
2010 76,098 42,046
2011 76,806 43,557
2012 76,416 46,204
2013 75,562 47,801
2014 75,729 49,581
2015 73,682 50,846
2016 73,002 52,228
2017 72,291 52,975
2018 72,511 53,970
2019 73,572 54,769
2020 73,362 55,034
2021 74,394 50,160
2022 76,221 54,534
2023 78,073 58,435

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: Eritrea vs Namibia

The maternal mortality rate, which is the probability of dying during childbirth or within 42 days of pregnancy termination, is 291 deaths per 100,000 live births in Eritrea, compared to 139 deaths in Namibia.

Eritrea
Namibia
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
Eritrea Namibia
1985 1,678 354
1986 1,625 348
1987 1,555 336
1988 1,499 342
1989 1,473 306
1990 1,352 325
1991 1,384 337
1992 1,149 346
1993 1,040 354
1994 998 367
1995 854 369
1996 878 387
1997 817 383
1998 865 396
1999 734 371
2000 741 384
2001 651 376
2002 636 313
2003 588 290
2004 588 282
2005 567 344
2006 555 408
2007 541 489
2008 530 537
2009 515 547
2010 498 531
2011 478 498
2012 458 439
2013 443 402
2014 430 369
2015 413 307
2016 395 250
2017 379 213
2018 363 198
2019 351 175
2020 334 143
2021 338 254
2022 301 127
2023 291 139

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 3.54% in Eritrea and 4.07% in Namibia. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

Eritrea
Namibia

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
Eritrea Namibia
1967 - 9.66%
1968 - 9.64%
1969 - 9.65%
1970 - 9.65%
1971 - 9.67%
1972 - 9.68%
1973 - 9.73%
1974 25.6% 9.79%
1975 25% 9.89%
1976 20.8% 10%
1977 20.4% 10.2%
1978 20% 10.3%
1979 19.7% 10.3%
1980 19.4% 10.3%
1981 19.1% 10.2%
1982 18.8% 9.93%
1983 27.8% 9.61%
1984 27.2% 9.22%
1985 26.2% 8.81%
1986 25.6% 8.43%
1987 17.1% 8.09%
1988 16.6% 7.81%
1989 16% 7.57%
1990 15.4% 7.39%
1991 14.7% 7.24%
1992 13.9% 7.14%
1993 13.1% 7.1%
1994 12.3% 7.13%
1995 11.5% 7.24%
1996 10.8% 7.39%
1997 10.1% 7.56%
1998 9.51% 7.7%
1999 10.9% 7.79%
2000 8.53% 7.79%
2001 8.11% 7.71%
2002 7.73% 7.61%
2003 7.38% 7.51%
2004 7.05% 7.41%
2005 6.75% 7.05%
2006 6.46% 6.49%
2007 6.19% 6.06%
2008 5.94% 5.64%
2009 5.71% 5.29%
2010 5.5% 5.08%
2011 5.31% 5.16%
2012 5.12% 5.51%
2013 4.94% 5.4%
2014 4.78% 5.31%
2015 4.61% 5.5%
2016 4.46% 5.42%
2017 4.32% 5.19%
2018 4.17% 5.01%
2019 4.03% 4.78%
2020 3.91% 4.57%
2021 3.79% 4.38%
2022 3.66% 4.2%
2023 3.54% 4.07%

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs Eritrea vs Namibia
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