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Fertility & birth rates in Gabon and Ghana

Updated on by Georank team

Gabon has an annual birth rate of 27.7 births per 1,000 people, compared to 26.3 for Ghana. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 3.65 in Gabon and 3.4 in Ghana — 6.85% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -17.5% in Gabon and by -50.7% in Ghana — in 1960, it was 4.42 and 6.89, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • Gabon is ranked 42/196 by birth rate compared to 47/196 for Ghana.
  • The mean age for first-time mothers is 19.6 years in Gabon, compared to 22.1 years in Ghana.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 28.5 in Gabon — it's 29.5 in Ghana.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 91.7 in Gabon vs 58.2 in Ghana.
  • In Gabon, 24.6% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 25.6% in Ghana.
  • Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was +2.14% in Gabon and +1.93% in Ghana.

Birth rate data compared

Gabon Ghana
Fertility rate 3.65 3.4
Birth rate 27.7 26.3
Birth rate rank 42/196 47/196
Age at first childbirth 19.6 years 22.1 years
Average age at childbearing 28.5 years 29.5 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 87.1 56.7
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 160.4 148.4
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 52.9 53.2
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 24.6% 25.6%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 17.3% 27.8%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 89.3% 78.9%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.23% 0.23%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 1.68% 2.12%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 2.65% 2.82%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 3.32% 3.71%
Population change due to births and deaths +53,167 +651,094
Natural population change rank 91/196 30/196
Natural population change rate +2.14% +1.93%
Population growth +2.18% +1.89%
Population growth rank 46/197 59/197
Life expectancy 68.7 years 65.9 years

Fertility rate in Gabon vs Ghana chart

According to the latest available data on birth rates, the fertility rate in Gabon was 3.65 children per woman in 2023, compared to 3.4 in Ghana in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.

Check Gabon vs Ghana population clock for a dynamic visualization of the changing population.

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

Gabon
Factual

UN forecast
Ghana
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
Gabon Ghana
1960 4.42 6.89
1961 4.5 6.91
1962 4.59 6.94
1963 4.65 6.94
1964 4.71 6.9
1965 4.79 6.88
1966 4.86 6.86
1967 4.92 6.89
1968 4.98 6.89
1969 5.05 6.95
1970 5.1 6.95
1971 5.16 6.95
1972 5.24 6.92
1973 5.29 6.87
1974 5.33 6.82
1975 5.39 6.76
1976 5.46 6.7
1977 5.52 6.64
1978 5.57 6.56
1979 5.61 6.51
1980 5.66 6.47
1981 5.73 6.42
1982 5.74 6.31
1983 5.76 6.23
1984 5.73 6.15
1985 5.71 6.12
1986 5.69 6.08
1987 5.67 6.02
1988 5.62 5.92
1989 5.55 5.82
1990 5.46 5.74
1991 5.37 5.63
1992 5.29 5.52
1993 5.19 5.41
1994 5.04 5.25
1995 4.88 5.11
1996 4.74 4.96
1997 4.66 4.88
1998 4.58 4.83
1999 4.5 4.82
2000 4.47 4.83
2001 4.42 4.77
2002 4.36 4.69
2003 4.3 4.6
2004 4.25 4.5
2005 4.21 4.5
2006 4.17 4.4
2007 4.14 4.29
2008 4.12 4.22
2009 4.14 4.18
2010 4.15 4.18
2011 4.15 4.18
2012 4.09 4.15
2013 4.02 4.11
2014 3.95 4.03
2015 3.92 3.98
2016 3.92 3.87
2017 3.91 3.72
2018 3.91 3.65
2019 3.88 3.59
2020 3.83 3.54
2021 3.78 3.49
2022 3.71 3.43
2023 3.65 3.4
2024 3.59 3.34
2025 3.54 3.3
2026 3.49 3.26
2027 3.43 3.22
2028 3.37 3.18
2029 3.33 3.14
2030 3.29 3.1
2031 3.24 3.06
2032 3.2 3.03
2033 3.16 2.99
2034 3.12 2.96
2035 3.08 2.93
2036 3.04 2.9
2037 3.01 2.87
2038 2.97 2.84
2039 2.94 2.81
2040 2.91 2.78
2041 2.88 2.76
2042 2.84 2.73
2043 2.81 2.71
2044 2.78 2.68
2045 2.75 2.66
2046 2.73 2.64
2047 2.7 2.62
2048 2.67 2.59
2049 2.64 2.57
2050 2.62 2.55

Children 0-14 years as share of population

Gabon
Factual

UN forecast
Ghana
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
Gabon Ghana
1960 31.4% 45.4%
1961 31.8% 45.9%
1962 32.2% 46.4%
1963 32.6% 46.8%
1964 33% 47.1%
1965 33.5% 47.4%
1966 33.9% 47.6%
1967 34.3% 47.8%
1968 34.7% 47.9%
1969 35.1% 48.1%
1970 35.4% 48.2%
1971 35.8% 48.4%
1972 36.3% 48.4%
1973 36.7% 48.4%
1974 37.1% 48.3%
1975 37.6% 48.2%
1976 38% 47.9%
1977 38.4% 47.5%
1978 38.8% 47%
1979 39.2% 46.5%
1980 39.6% 46.2%
1981 39.9% 45.9%
1982 40.3% 45.7%
1983 40.7% 45.4%
1984 41% 45.2%
1985 41.4% 45.3%
1986 41.6% 45.4%
1987 41.9% 45.5%
1988 42.1% 45.4%
1989 42.3% 45.4%
1990 42.4% 45.3%
1991 42.5% 45.2%
1992 42.5% 45%
1993 42.5% 44.8%
1994 42.4% 44.5%
1995 42.3% 44.2%
1996 42% 43.9%
1997 41.8% 43.5%
1998 41.5% 43.1%
1999 41.2% 42.7%
2000 40.8% 42.3%
2001 40.5% 41.9%
2002 40.1% 41.5%
2003 39.7% 41.1%
2004 39.4% 40.7%
2005 39% 40.4%
2006 38.6% 40.1%
2007 38.2% 39.8%
2008 37.9% 39.5%
2009 37.6% 39.3%
2010 37.3% 39.1%
2011 37.1% 39%
2012 37% 38.9%
2013 36.8% 38.9%
2014 36.7% 38.8%
2015 36.6% 38.6%
2016 36.6% 38.4%
2017 36.6% 38.1%
2018 36.7% 37.8%
2019 36.8% 37.6%
2020 36.8% 37.2%
2021 36.8% 36.9%
2022 36.8% 36.5%
2023 36.7% 36.2%
2024 36.5% 35.8%
2025 36.2% 35.4%
2026 35.9% 35%
2027 35.6% 34.6%
2028 35.3% 34.1%
2029 34.9% 33.7%
2030 34.6% 33.3%
2031 34.2% 32.8%
2032 33.8% 32.5%
2033 33.4% 32.2%
2034 33% 31.9%
2035 32.7% 31.6%
2036 32.3% 31.4%
2037 32% 31.2%
2038 31.8% 30.9%
2039 31.5% 30.7%
2040 31.3% 30.5%
2041 31.1% 30.3%
2042 31% 30.1%
2043 30.8% 29.8%
2044 30.6% 29.6%
2045 30.5% 29.4%
2046 30.3% 29.2%
2047 30.2% 29%
2048 30% 28.8%
2049 29.8% 28.5%
2050 29.6% 28.3%

Children aged 0-14 make up 36.5% of the population in Gabon and 35.8% in Ghana in 2024, compared to 42.4% and 45.3% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of Gabon and Ghana compared.

Natural population change in Gabon vs Ghana by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +2.31% in Gabon and +2.1% in Ghana. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

Gabon
Ghana

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
Gabon Ghana
1960 5,732 217,134
1961 6,161 222,372
1962 6,609 223,842
1963 7,001 225,367
1964 7,402 226,685
1965 7,902 229,061
1966 8,410 231,440
1967 8,883 237,156
1968 9,417 242,821
1969 9,969 251,925
1970 10,635 257,938
1971 11,357 265,442
1972 12,095 275,236
1973 12,731 283,385
1974 13,381 290,796
1975 14,162 298,267
1976 14,998 305,769
1977 15,842 315,429
1978 16,714 324,428
1979 17,553 334,848
1980 18,503 346,816
1981 19,528 359,572
1982 20,292 369,061
1983 21,162 379,846
1984 21,851 392,053
1985 22,617 401,722
1986 23,362 411,191
1987 24,212 419,328
1988 24,888 425,031
1989 25,359 432,541
1990 25,858 442,211
1991 26,334 448,159
1992 26,810 452,156
1993 27,235 454,669
1994 27,271 449,589
1995 27,290 451,748
1996 27,450 450,259
1997 28,053 459,822
1998 28,697 471,313
1999 29,330 487,210
2000 30,210 508,738
2001 30,941 519,382
2002 31,777 528,620
2003 32,633 536,656
2004 33,615 543,339
2005 34,766 563,234
2006 35,984 569,474
2007 37,394 572,332
2008 39,002 579,695
2009 41,037 592,825
2010 43,061 613,133
2011 44,922 631,501
2012 45,941 646,595
2013 46,829 658,638
2014 47,704 660,829
2015 48,876 667,729
2016 50,321 659,910
2017 51,455 641,218
2018 52,476 641,551
2019 53,185 642,403
2020 52,745 637,469
2021 52,611 635,805
2022 52,944 646,441
2023 53,167 651,094

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: Gabon vs Ghana

The maternal mortality rate, which is the probability of dying during childbirth or within 42 days of pregnancy termination, is 233 deaths per 100,000 live births in Gabon, compared to 234 deaths in Ghana.

Gabon
Ghana
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
Gabon Ghana
1985 373 943
1986 369 908
1987 366 873
1988 367 834
1989 366 799
1990 368 769
1991 369 745
1992 371 718
1993 364 696
1994 357 670
1995 341 630
1996 321 591
1997 290 553
1998 258 521
1999 216 490
2000 178 472
2001 160 460
2002 151 434
2003 134 410
2004 142 403
2005 175 390
2006 186 385
2007 173 377
2008 158 380
2009 158 369
2010 144 363
2011 149 356
2012 173 351
2013 235 338
2014 273 317
2015 239 310
2016 215 296
2017 184 287
2018 176 276
2019 179 260
2020 194 253
2021 249 264
2022 216 239
2023 233 234

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 3.32% in Gabon and 3.71% in Ghana. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

Gabon
Ghana

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
Gabon Ghana
1960 21.9% 20.9%
1961 21.2% 20.7%
1962 20.5% 20.5%
1963 19.8% 20.4%
1964 19.2% 20.3%
1965 18.6% 20.3%
1966 17.9% 20.3%
1967 17.4% 20.3%
1968 16.8% 20.3%
1969 16.2% 20.3%
1970 15.7% 20.2%
1971 15.2% 20.1%
1972 14.7% 19.9%
1973 14.2% 19.6%
1974 13.7% 19.2%
1975 13.3% 18.7%
1976 12.8% 18.2%
1977 12.4% 17.7%
1978 12% 17.2%
1979 11.6% 16.9%
1980 11.2% 16.7%
1981 10.8% 16.6%
1982 10.5% 16.4%
1983 10.1% 16.2%
1984 9.81% 15.9%
1985 9.52% 15.5%
1986 9.26% 15%
1987 9.03% 14.4%
1988 8.82% 13.8%
1989 8.64% 13.3%
1990 8.49% 12.8%
1991 8.35% 12.3%
1992 8.24% 12%
1993 8.14% 11.8%
1994 8.06% 11.6%
1995 7.98% 11.5%
1996 7.89% 11.3%
1997 7.79% 11.1%
1998 7.67% 10.8%
1999 7.53% 10.4%
2000 7.37% 10%
2001 7.19% 9.61%
2002 7.01% 9.21%
2003 6.81% 8.85%
2004 6.6% 8.52%
2005 6.39% 8.22%
2006 6.21% 7.93%
2007 5.99% 7.63%
2008 5.77% 7.31%
2009 5.57% 6.99%
2010 5.35% 6.65%
2011 5.14% 6.33%
2012 4.94% 6.02%
2013 4.73% 5.74%
2014 4.57% 5.48%
2015 4.42% 5.25%
2016 4.24% 5.02%
2017 4.1% 4.81%
2018 3.96% 4.6%
2019 3.8% 4.39%
2020 3.62% 4.2%
2021 3.52% 4.02%
2022 3.41% 3.85%
2023 3.32% 3.71%

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs Gabon vs Ghana
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