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Fertility & birth rates in Iceland and Iraq

Updated on by Georank team

Iceland has an annual birth rate of 11 births per 1,000 people, compared to 25.7 for Iraq. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 1.59 in Iceland and 3.25 in Iraq — 104.3% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -62.9% in Iceland and by -38.7% in Iraq — in 1960, it was 4.29 and 5.3, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • Iceland is ranked 132/196 by birth rate compared to 51/196 for Iraq.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 31 in Iceland — it's 28.6 in Iraq.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 3.37 in Iceland vs 58 in Iraq.
  • In Iceland, 23.7% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 25.3% in Iraq.
  • Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was +0.44% in Iceland and +2.16% in Iraq.

Birth rate data compared

Iceland Iraq
Fertility rate 1.59 3.25
Birth rate 11 25.7
Birth rate rank 132/196 51/196
Age at first childbirth 28.8 years n/a
Average age at childbearing 31 years 28.6 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 2.82 56.2
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 68.4 162.2
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 20.4 45.1
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 23.7% 25.3%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 n/a 36.1%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 97.4% 95.6%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.003% 0.07%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 0.13% 1.29%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 0.19% 2.08%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 0.26% 2.26%
Population change due to births and deaths +1,730 +973,420
Natural population change rank 138/196 20/196
Natural population change rate +0.44% +2.16%
Population growth +2.86% +2.15%
Population growth rank 21/197 48/197
Life expectancy 83.2 years 72.5 years

Fertility rate in Iceland vs Iraq chart

According to the latest available data on birth rates, the fertility rate in Iceland was 1.59 children per woman in 2023, compared to 3.25 in Iraq in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.

Check Iceland vs Iraq population clock for a dynamic visualization of the changing population.

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

Iceland
Factual

UN forecast
Iraq
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
Iceland Iraq
1960 4.29 5.3
1961 3.88 5.8
1962 3.98 6.99
1963 3.99 7.01
1964 3.88 7.01
1965 3.73 7.02
1966 3.59 7.02
1967 3.28 7.03
1968 3.06 7.06
1969 2.99 7.08
1970 2.81 7.07
1971 2.92 7.06
1972 3.09 7.02
1973 2.94 6.99
1974 2.66 6.95
1975 2.65 6.91
1976 2.52 6.86
1977 2.31 6.8
1978 2.35 6.73
1979 2.49 6.66
1980 2.48 6.59
1981 2.33 6.53
1982 2.27 6.46
1983 2.24 6.39
1984 2.08 6.32
1985 1.93 6.25
1986 1.92 6.18
1987 2.06 6.11
1988 2.26 6.05
1989 2.19 5.99
1990 2.3 5.93
1991 2.18 5.83
1992 2.21 5.72
1993 2.22 5.61
1994 2.14 5.49
1995 2.08 5.36
1996 2.12 5.25
1997 2.04 5.19
1998 2.05 5.11
1999 1.99 5.04
2000 2.08 4.92
2001 1.95 4.8
2002 1.93 4.67
2003 1.99 4.58
2004 2.04 4.53
2005 2.05 4.45
2006 2.08 4.46
2007 2.09 4.4
2008 2.15 4.37
2009 2.23 4.38
2010 2.2 4.46
2011 2.02 4.59
2012 2.04 4.54
2013 1.93 4.44
2014 1.93 4.31
2015 1.8 4.08
2016 1.74 3.84
2017 1.71 3.64
2018 1.71 3.55
2019 1.74 3.48
2020 1.72 3.42
2021 1.82 3.36
2022 1.59 3.29
2023 1.59 3.25
2024 1.57 3.22
2025 1.55 3.17
2026 1.54 3.13
2027 1.53 3.09
2028 1.53 3.05
2029 1.53 3.01
2030 1.52 2.97
2031 1.52 2.94
2032 1.52 2.89
2033 1.53 2.86
2034 1.53 2.83
2035 1.53 2.79
2036 1.53 2.77
2037 1.53 2.74
2038 1.53 2.71
2039 1.54 2.69
2040 1.54 2.66
2041 1.54 2.64
2042 1.54 2.61
2043 1.54 2.59
2044 1.54 2.57
2045 1.54 2.54
2046 1.55 2.52
2047 1.55 2.5
2048 1.55 2.48
2049 1.55 2.47
2050 1.56 2.45

Children 0-14 years as share of population

Iceland
Factual

UN forecast
Iraq
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
Iceland Iraq
1960 34.9% 39.8%
1961 35% 39.9%
1962 34.9% 40.4%
1963 34.9% 41%
1964 34.7% 41.5%
1965 34.5% 42.1%
1966 34.3% 42.5%
1967 34% 42.8%
1968 33.6% 43%
1969 33.2% 43.3%
1970 32.6% 43.6%
1971 32.1% 44.1%
1972 31.6% 44.7%
1973 31.2% 45.5%
1974 30.7% 46.2%
1975 30.1% 46.7%
1976 29.5% 47.2%
1977 29% 47.3%
1978 28.4% 47.1%
1979 27.9% 47%
1980 27.5% 46.8%
1981 27.2% 46.7%
1982 26.9% 46.6%
1983 26.7% 46.5%
1984 26.5% 46.3%
1985 26.2% 46.2%
1986 25.9% 46%
1987 25.6% 45.8%
1988 25.2% 45.6%
1989 25% 45.4%
1990 25% 45.2%
1991 24.8% 45%
1992 24.8% 44.9%
1993 24.8% 44.7%
1994 24.7% 44.6%
1995 24.4% 44.4%
1996 24.1% 44.3%
1997 23.9% 44.1%
1998 23.6% 44%
1999 23.4% 43.8%
2000 23.3% 43.7%
2001 23.2% 43.5%
2002 23% 43.3%
2003 22.8% 43.1%
2004 22.5% 42.9%
2005 22.1% 42.6%
2006 21.5% 42.3%
2007 21.1% 42.1%
2008 20.9% 41.8%
2009 20.9% 41.5%
2010 20.9% 41.2%
2011 20.8% 41.1%
2012 20.7% 41%
2013 20.6% 40.8%
2014 20.4% 40.6%
2015 20.2% 40.4%
2016 19.9% 40.1%
2017 19.6% 39.7%
2018 19.2% 39.3%
2019 18.9% 38.9%
2020 18.7% 38.5%
2021 18.6% 38.1%
2022 18.4% 37.6%
2023 18.1% 37.1%
2024 17.8% 36.6%
2025 17.5% 36%
2026 17.3% 35.4%
2027 17.1% 34.7%
2028 17% 34.1%
2029 16.8% 33.4%
2030 16.7% 32.9%
2031 16.6% 32.5%
2032 16.5% 32.1%
2033 16.3% 31.8%
2034 16.1% 31.6%
2035 15.9% 31.3%
2036 15.6% 31.1%
2037 15.4% 30.9%
2038 15.2% 30.6%
2039 15% 30.4%
2040 14.8% 30.1%
2041 14.7% 29.9%
2042 14.5% 29.7%
2043 14.4% 29.4%
2044 14.2% 29.1%
2045 14.1% 28.8%
2046 14% 28.6%
2047 13.9% 28.3%
2048 13.8% 28%
2049 13.7% 27.7%
2050 13.6% 27.4%

Children aged 0-14 make up 17.8% of the population in Iceland and 36.6% in Iraq in 2024, compared to 25% and 45.2% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of Iceland and Iraq compared.

Natural population change in Iceland vs Iraq by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +0.57% in Iceland and +2.37% in Iraq. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

Iceland
Iraq

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
Iceland Iraq
1960 3,758 155,651
1961 3,312 184,792
1962 3,465 247,520
1963 3,490 254,046
1964 3,459 262,825
1965 3,442 274,551
1966 3,305 285,507
1967 3,021 298,192
1968 2,841 310,644
1969 2,766 324,792
1970 2,576 338,030
1971 2,782 351,464
1972 3,241 362,334
1973 3,121 373,191
1974 2,776 376,197
1975 2,965 385,916
1976 2,951 402,260
1977 2,551 410,229
1978 2,727 418,756
1979 2,980 428,458
1980 2,966 419,653
1981 2,677 416,998
1982 2,736 428,336
1983 2,702 439,800
1984 2,539 455,740
1985 2,221 467,445
1986 2,384 474,348
1987 2,360 488,742
1988 2,847 476,778
1989 2,832 496,852
1990 3,058 518,575
1991 2,733 550,146
1992 2,898 591,886
1993 2,875 606,700
1994 2,713 634,344
1995 2,354 642,977
1996 2,447 652,866
1997 2,305 667,582
1998 2,357 684,152
1999 2,192 702,170
2000 2,475 715,771
2001 2,365 729,704
2002 2,243 739,419
2003 2,317 746,159
2004 2,425 761,563
2005 2,433 776,603
2006 2,491 797,342
2007 2,617 784,119
2008 2,825 802,382
2009 3,026 855,096
2010 2,862 906,369
2011 2,521 971,082
2012 2,566 999,987
2013 2,169 1,026,036
2014 2,324 1,040,726
2015 1,952 1,007,561
2016 1,711 946,968
2017 1,854 924,507
2018 1,975 938,310
2019 2,163 942,972
2020 2,199 919,953
2021 2,534 941,924
2022 1,719 962,501
2023 1,730 973,420

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: Iceland vs Iraq

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 Iceland, compared to 66 deaths in Iraq.

Iceland
Iraq
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
Iceland Iraq
1985 11 152
1986 15 147
1987 13 145
1988 11 174
1989 14 190
1990 13 195
1991 11 157
1992 12 126
1993 10 132
1994 9 142
1995 13 152
1996 7 158
1997 8 165
1998 8 163
1999 7 156
2000 7 146
2001 6 137
2002 7 128
2003 6 125
2004 6 122
2005 5 118
2006 5 120
2007 5 117
2008 4 109
2009 5 107
2010 5 107
2011 4 105
2012 4 100
2013 4 96
2014 4 90
2015 4 86
2016 3 87
2017 3 81
2018 4 76
2019 4 74
2020 12 63
2021 5 77
2022 5 59
2023 3 66

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 0.26% in Iceland and 2.26% in Iraq. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

Iceland
Iraq

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
Iceland Iraq
1960 2.14% 19%
1961 2.11% 17.9%
1962 2.07% 16.9%
1963 2.02% 16%
1964 1.97% 15.1%
1965 1.92% 14.4%
1966 1.85% 13.6%
1967 1.79% 13%
1968 1.72% 12.4%
1969 1.66% 11.8%
1970 1.6% 11.2%
1971 1.54% 10.7%
1972 1.48% 10.3%
1973 1.41% 9.79%
1974 1.35% 9.35%
1975 1.29% 8.93%
1976 1.22% 8.54%
1977 1.15% 8.17%
1978 1.09% 7.83%
1979 1.03% 7.52%
1980 0.97% 7.23%
1981 0.92% 6.96%
1982 0.87% 6.71%
1983 0.83% 6.49%
1984 0.79% 6.28%
1985 0.75% 6.09%
1986 0.73% 5.91%
1987 0.7% 5.75%
1988 0.67% 6.92%
1989 0.65% 8.12%
1990 0.63% 7.97%
1991 0.61% 6.49%
1992 0.58% 5.17%
1993 0.56% 5.07%
1994 0.54% 4.98%
1995 0.52% 4.89%
1996 0.49% 4.8%
1997 0.47% 4.71%
1998 0.45% 4.61%
1999 0.42% 4.52%
2000 0.4% 4.43%
2001 0.38% 4.33%
2002 0.36% 4.24%
2003 0.34% 4.16%
2004 0.33% 4.07%
2005 0.31% 3.97%
2006 0.3% 3.88%
2007 0.29% 3.78%
2008 0.28% 3.67%
2009 0.27% 3.56%
2010 0.27% 3.46%
2011 0.27% 3.35%
2012 0.26% 3.24%
2013 0.26% 3.14%
2014 0.26% 3.04%
2015 0.26% 2.94%
2016 0.26% 2.84%
2017 0.26% 2.75%
2018 0.27% 2.66%
2019 0.27% 2.57%
2020 0.27% 2.49%
2021 0.27% 2.41%
2022 0.26% 2.33%
2023 0.26% 2.26%

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs Iceland vs Iraq
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