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Fertility & birth rates in Ghana and Somalia

Updated on by Georank team

Ghana has an annual birth rate of 26.3 births per 1,000 people, compared to 43 for Somalia. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 3.4 in Ghana and 6.13 in Somalia — 80.5% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -50.7% in Ghana and by -15.4% in Somalia — in 1960, it was 6.89 and 7.25, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • Ghana is ranked 47/196 by birth rate compared to 2/196 for Somalia.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 29.5 in Ghana — it's 29.4 in Somalia.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 58.2 in Ghana vs 117.1 in Somalia.
  • In Ghana, 25.6% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 22.4% in Somalia.
  • Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was +1.93% in Ghana and +3.31% in Somalia.

Birth rate data compared

Ghana Somalia
Fertility rate 3.4 6.13
Birth rate 26.3 43
Birth rate rank 47/196 2/196
Age at first childbirth 22.1 years n/a
Average age at childbearing 29.5 years 29.4 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 56.7 114.3
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 148.4 269
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 53.2 98.9
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 25.6% 22.4%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 27.8% 0.9%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 78.9% 31.9%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.23% 0.56%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 2.12% 3.49%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 2.82% 6.78%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 3.71% 10.4%
Population change due to births and deaths +651,094 +608,203
Natural population change rank 30/196 31/196
Natural population change rate +1.93% +3.31%
Population growth +1.89% +3.54%
Population growth rank 59/197 9/197
Life expectancy 65.9 years 59.1 years

Fertility rate in Ghana vs Somalia chart

According to the latest available data on birth rates, the fertility rate in Ghana was 3.4 children per woman in 2023, compared to 6.13 in Somalia in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.

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

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

Ghana
Factual

UN forecast
Somalia
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
Ghana Somalia
1960 6.89 7.25
1961 6.91 7.25
1962 6.94 7.26
1963 6.94 7.26
1964 6.9 7.26
1965 6.88 7.26
1966 6.86 7.26
1967 6.89 7.25
1968 6.89 7.23
1969 6.95 7.21
1970 6.95 7.18
1971 6.95 7.15
1972 6.92 7.12
1973 6.87 7.09
1974 6.82 7.06
1975 6.76 7.03
1976 6.7 7.02
1977 6.64 7
1978 6.56 7.13
1979 6.51 7.16
1980 6.47 7.18
1981 6.42 7.23
1982 6.31 7.25
1983 6.23 7.28
1984 6.15 7.3
1985 6.12 7.33
1986 6.08 7.35
1987 6.02 7.37
1988 5.92 7.4
1989 5.82 7.42
1990 5.74 7.44
1991 5.63 7.47
1992 5.52 7.5
1993 5.41 7.53
1994 5.25 7.54
1995 5.11 7.58
1996 4.96 7.62
1997 4.88 7.66
1998 4.83 7.66
1999 4.82 7.66
2000 4.83 7.65
2001 4.77 7.64
2002 4.69 7.63
2003 4.6 7.6
2004 4.5 7.57
2005 4.5 7.53
2006 4.4 7.49
2007 4.29 7.46
2008 4.22 7.42
2009 4.18 7.38
2010 4.18 7.32
2011 4.18 7.27
2012 4.15 7.21
2013 4.11 7.14
2014 4.03 7.06
2015 3.98 6.98
2016 3.87 6.88
2017 3.72 6.77
2018 3.65 6.66
2019 3.59 6.56
2020 3.54 6.45
2021 3.49 6.35
2022 3.43 6.26
2023 3.4 6.13
2024 3.34 6.01
2025 3.3 5.91
2026 3.26 5.8
2027 3.22 5.68
2028 3.18 5.58
2029 3.14 5.47
2030 3.1 5.35
2031 3.06 5.25
2032 3.03 5.14
2033 2.99 5.04
2034 2.96 4.94
2035 2.93 4.84
2036 2.9 4.74
2037 2.87 4.63
2038 2.84 4.52
2039 2.81 4.44
2040 2.78 4.35
2041 2.76 4.26
2042 2.73 4.16
2043 2.71 4.07
2044 2.68 3.99
2045 2.66 3.91
2046 2.64 3.84
2047 2.62 3.78
2048 2.59 3.71
2049 2.57 3.65
2050 2.55 3.6

Children 0-14 years as share of population

Ghana
Factual

UN forecast
Somalia
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
Ghana Somalia
1960 45.4% 44.4%
1961 45.9% 44.7%
1962 46.4% 44.8%
1963 46.8% 45%
1964 47.1% 45.1%
1965 47.4% 45.1%
1966 47.6% 44.9%
1967 47.8% 44.8%
1968 47.9% 44.7%
1969 48.1% 44.6%
1970 48.2% 44.5%
1971 48.4% 44.5%
1972 48.4% 44.4%
1973 48.4% 44.4%
1974 48.3% 44.4%
1975 48.2% 44.3%
1976 47.9% 44.3%
1977 47.5% 44.3%
1978 47% 44.4%
1979 46.5% 44.5%
1980 46.2% 44.6%
1981 45.9% 44.8%
1982 45.7% 45%
1983 45.4% 45.2%
1984 45.2% 45.4%
1985 45.3% 45.6%
1986 45.4% 45.8%
1987 45.5% 46%
1988 45.4% 46.3%
1989 45.4% 46.7%
1990 45.3% 47%
1991 45.2% 47%
1992 45% 46.5%
1993 44.8% 46.4%
1994 44.5% 46.5%
1995 44.2% 46.7%
1996 43.9% 46.9%
1997 43.5% 47%
1998 43.1% 47.1%
1999 42.7% 47.2%
2000 42.3% 47.4%
2001 41.9% 47.5%
2002 41.5% 47.6%
2003 41.1% 47.7%
2004 40.7% 47.9%
2005 40.4% 48.2%
2006 40.1% 48.6%
2007 39.8% 48.9%
2008 39.5% 48.9%
2009 39.3% 48.8%
2010 39.1% 48.7%
2011 39% 48.3%
2012 38.9% 47.9%
2013 38.9% 47.8%
2014 38.8% 47.7%
2015 38.6% 47.6%
2016 38.4% 47.5%
2017 38.1% 47.4%
2018 37.8% 47.3%
2019 37.6% 47.1%
2020 37.2% 47%
2021 36.9% 47%
2022 36.5% 46.8%
2023 36.2% 46.7%
2024 35.8% 46.6%
2025 35.4% 46.6%
2026 35% 46.5%
2027 34.6% 46.4%
2028 34.1% 46.1%
2029 33.7% 45.8%
2030 33.3% 45.4%
2031 32.8% 45.1%
2032 32.5% 44.7%
2033 32.2% 44.3%
2034 31.9% 43.9%
2035 31.6% 43.5%
2036 31.4% 43.1%
2037 31.2% 42.6%
2038 30.9% 42.1%
2039 30.7% 41.7%
2040 30.5% 41.2%
2041 30.3% 40.8%
2042 30.1% 40.3%
2043 29.8% 39.9%
2044 29.6% 39.4%
2045 29.4% 39%
2046 29.2% 38.6%
2047 29% 38.2%
2048 28.8% 37.8%
2049 28.5% 37.4%
2050 28.3% 37%

Children aged 0-14 make up 35.8% of the population in Ghana and 46.6% in Somalia in 2024, compared to 45.3% and 47% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of Ghana and Somalia compared.

Natural population change in Ghana vs Somalia by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +2.1% in Ghana and +3.34% in Somalia. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

Ghana
Somalia

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
Ghana Somalia
1960 217,134 73,850
1961 222,372 75,513
1962 223,842 77,737
1963 225,367 79,859
1964 226,685 82,042
1965 229,061 84,448
1966 231,440 86,930
1967 237,156 89,497
1968 242,821 92,208
1969 251,925 95,045
1970 257,938 98,025
1971 265,442 101,196
1972 275,236 104,493
1973 283,385 108,038
1974 290,796 104,813
1975 298,267 108,998
1976 305,769 113,319
1977 315,429 124,818
1978 324,428 132,689
1979 334,848 151,016
1980 346,816 174,790
1981 359,572 185,211
1982 369,061 182,793
1983 379,846 190,775
1984 392,053 199,017
1985 401,722 207,960
1986 411,191 218,416
1987 419,328 231,580
1988 425,031 215,599
1989 432,541 225,255
1990 442,211 225,162
1991 448,159 53,052
1992 452,156 57,495
1993 454,669 232,960
1994 449,589 246,950
1995 451,748 254,509
1996 450,259 264,807
1997 459,822 271,894
1998 471,313 284,779
1999 487,210 295,523
2000 508,738 306,651
2001 519,382 319,059
2002 528,620 331,215
2003 536,656 341,192
2004 543,339 351,959
2005 563,234 363,117
2006 569,474 372,597
2007 572,332 380,303
2008 579,695 394,258
2009 592,825 405,784
2010 613,133 385,571
2011 631,501 203,213
2012 646,595 399,468
2013 658,638 448,518
2014 660,829 464,481
2015 667,729 481,573
2016 659,910 495,132
2017 641,218 478,556
2018 641,551 514,244
2019 642,403 548,756
2020 637,469 561,311
2021 635,805 566,399
2022 646,441 551,450
2023 651,094 608,203

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: Ghana vs Somalia

The maternal mortality rate, which is the probability of dying during childbirth or within 42 days of pregnancy termination, is 234 deaths per 100,000 live births in Ghana, compared to 563 deaths in Somalia.

Ghana
Somalia
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
Ghana Somalia
1985 943 1,465
1986 908 1,452
1987 873 1,393
1988 834 1,423
1989 799 1,395
1990 769 1,358
1991 745 1,431
1992 718 1,339
1993 696 1,195
1994 670 1,254
1995 630 1,210
1996 591 1,225
1997 553 1,206
1998 521 1,177
1999 490 1,170
2000 472 1,150
2001 460 1,129
2002 434 1,121
2003 410 1,111
2004 403 1,104
2005 390 1,086
2006 385 1,085
2007 377 1,074
2008 380 1,035
2009 369 995
2010 363 1,062
2011 356 972
2012 351 894
2013 338 855
2014 317 816
2015 310 784
2016 296 754
2017 287 716
2018 276 727
2019 260 656
2020 253 655
2021 264 726
2022 239 622
2023 234 563

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 3.71% in Ghana and 10.4% in Somalia. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

Ghana
Somalia

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
Ghana Somalia
1960 20.9% -
1961 20.7% -
1962 20.5% -
1963 20.4% -
1964 20.3% -
1965 20.3% -
1966 20.3% -
1967 20.3% -
1968 20.3% -
1969 20.3% -
1970 20.2% -
1971 20.1% -
1972 19.9% -
1973 19.6% -
1974 19.2% -
1975 18.7% -
1976 18.2% -
1977 17.7% -
1978 17.2% -
1979 16.9% -
1980 16.7% -
1981 16.6% -
1982 16.4% 20.1%
1983 16.2% 19.8%
1984 15.9% 19.5%
1985 15.5% 19.3%
1986 15% 19%
1987 14.4% 18.8%
1988 13.8% 18.6%
1989 13.3% 18.3%
1990 12.8% 18%
1991 12.3% 44.3%
1992 12% 45.6%
1993 11.8% 17.3%
1994 11.6% 17.2%
1995 11.5% 17.2%
1996 11.3% 17.2%
1997 11.1% 17.2%
1998 10.8% 17.2%
1999 10.4% 17.2%
2000 10% 17.2%
2001 9.61% 17.2%
2002 9.21% 17.2%
2003 8.85% 17.2%
2004 8.52% 17.2%
2005 8.22% 17.2%
2006 7.93% 17.2%
2007 7.63% 17%
2008 7.31% 16.6%
2009 6.99% 16.2%
2010 6.65% 18.6%
2011 6.33% 35.9%
2012 6.02% 18.4%
2013 5.74% 14.3%
2014 5.48% 13.8%
2015 5.25% 13.4%
2016 5.02% 13%
2017 4.81% 15.5%
2018 4.6% 13.6%
2019 4.39% 11.8%
2020 4.2% 11.4%
2021 4.02% 11.1%
2022 3.85% 14.3%
2023 3.71% 10.4%

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs Ghana vs Somalia
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