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Fertility & birth rates in India and Nepal

Updated on by Georank team

India has an annual birth rate of 16.1 births per 1,000 people, compared to 19.3 for Nepal. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 1.98 in India and 1.98 in Nepal — 0.46% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -66.6% in India and by -67.3% in Nepal — in 1960, it was 5.92 and 6.07, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • India is ranked 93/196 by birth rate compared to 80/196 for Nepal.
  • The mean age for first-time mothers is 21.2 years in India, compared to 20.4 years in Nepal.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 27.7 in India — it's 25.3 in Nepal.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 14.1 in India vs 67.2 in Nepal.
  • In India, 26.3% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 28.9% in Nepal.
  • Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was +0.95% in India and +1.24% in Nepal.

Birth rate data compared

India Nepal
Fertility rate 1.98 1.98
Birth rate 16.1 19.3
Birth rate rank 93/196 80/196
Age at first childbirth 21.2 years 20.4 years
Average age at childbearing 27.7 years 25.3 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 12 66
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 131.1 125.6
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 17.9 12.9
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 26.3% 28.9%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 56.4% 42.7%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 89.4% 77.2%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.08% 0.14%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 1.73% 1.66%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 2.45% 2.33%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 2.77% 2.65%
Population change due to births and deaths +13,711,993 +368,450
Natural population change rank 1/196 47/196
Natural population change rate +0.95% +1.24%
Population growth +0.89% -0.15%
Population growth rank 109/197 174/197
Life expectancy 72.5 years 70.9 years

Fertility rate in India vs Nepal chart

According to the latest available data on birth rates, the fertility rate in India was 1.98 children per woman in 2023, compared to 1.98 in Nepal in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.

Check India vs Nepal population clock for a dynamic visualization of the changing population.

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

India
Factual

UN forecast
Nepal
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
India Nepal
1960 5.92 6.07
1961 5.94 6.09
1962 5.95 6.08
1963 5.97 6.06
1964 5.98 6.04
1965 5.94 6.01
1966 5.88 5.98
1967 5.83 5.95
1968 5.76 5.94
1969 5.68 5.89
1970 5.62 5.87
1971 5.57 5.85
1972 5.48 5.8
1973 5.4 5.7
1974 5.33 5.75
1975 5.2 5.73
1976 5.13 5.72
1977 5.01 5.69
1978 4.89 5.68
1979 4.81 5.64
1980 4.78 5.6
1981 4.7 5.58
1982 4.62 5.55
1983 4.57 5.54
1984 4.52 5.51
1985 4.43 5.46
1986 4.4 5.4
1987 4.31 5.35
1988 4.22 5.31
1989 4.13 5.26
1990 4.05 5.21
1991 3.96 5.15
1992 3.88 5.07
1993 3.8 5.04
1994 3.72 4.96
1995 3.65 4.87
1996 3.58 4.67
1997 3.51 4.44
1998 3.45 4.28
1999 3.38 4.13
2000 3.35 3.98
2001 3.3 3.79
2002 3.22 3.6
2003 3.12 3.44
2004 3.05 3.28
2005 2.96 3.12
2006 2.87 2.97
2007 2.78 2.86
2008 2.71 2.74
2009 2.67 2.63
2010 2.6 2.54
2011 2.53 2.46
2012 2.47 2.42
2013 2.4 2.36
2014 2.29 2.32
2015 2.29 2.27
2016 2.28 2.23
2017 2.19 2.17
2018 2.18 2.12
2019 2.12 2.08
2020 2.05 2.05
2021 2.01 2.03
2022 1.99 2
2023 1.98 1.98
2024 1.96 1.96
2025 1.94 1.94
2026 1.93 1.92
2027 1.91 1.9
2028 1.9 1.89
2029 1.89 1.88
2030 1.88 1.86
2031 1.87 1.85
2032 1.86 1.84
2033 1.85 1.83
2034 1.84 1.82
2035 1.84 1.81
2036 1.83 1.8
2037 1.82 1.79
2038 1.81 1.79
2039 1.81 1.78
2040 1.8 1.78
2041 1.8 1.77
2042 1.79 1.77
2043 1.79 1.76
2044 1.78 1.76
2045 1.78 1.75
2046 1.78 1.75
2047 1.77 1.74
2048 1.77 1.74
2049 1.77 1.74
2050 1.76 1.73

Children 0-14 years as share of population

India
Factual

UN forecast
Nepal
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
India Nepal
1960 40.6% 40.7%
1961 40.9% 40.7%
1962 41.2% 40.6%
1963 41.5% 40.5%
1964 41.6% 40.4%
1965 41.7% 40.4%
1966 41.7% 40.4%
1967 41.6% 40.3%
1968 41.5% 40.3%
1969 41.5% 40.3%
1970 41.4% 40.3%
1971 41.2% 40.4%
1972 41.1% 40.4%
1973 41% 40.5%
1974 40.8% 40.5%
1975 40.7% 40.6%
1976 40.5% 40.7%
1977 40.3% 40.7%
1978 40.1% 40.8%
1979 40% 40.8%
1980 39.8% 40.9%
1981 39.7% 40.9%
1982 39.6% 40.9%
1983 39.5% 41%
1984 39.4% 41%
1985 39.3% 41.1%
1986 39.2% 41.2%
1987 39.1% 41.3%
1988 38.9% 41.4%
1989 38.8% 41.5%
1990 38.6% 41.5%
1991 38.4% 41.5%
1992 38.1% 41.4%
1993 37.9% 41.3%
1994 37.6% 41.4%
1995 37.3% 41.4%
1996 37% 41.5%
1997 36.7% 41.4%
1998 36.3% 41.3%
1999 35.9% 41.1%
2000 35.6% 40.9%
2001 35.2% 40.7%
2002 34.8% 40.4%
2003 34.4% 40%
2004 34% 39.6%
2005 33.6% 39.2%
2006 33.1% 38.7%
2007 32.7% 38.1%
2008 32.2% 37.5%
2009 31.8% 36.7%
2010 31.3% 36%
2011 30.9% 35.3%
2012 30.4% 34.7%
2013 29.9% 34.2%
2014 29.4% 33.6%
2015 28.9% 33%
2016 28.4% 32.5%
2017 27.8% 32.1%
2018 27.3% 31.6%
2019 26.8% 30.9%
2020 26.3% 30.1%
2021 25.9% 29.4%
2022 25.5% 28.9%
2023 25.1% 28.7%
2024 24.6% 28.4%
2025 24.2% 28.1%
2026 23.8% 27.7%
2027 23.4% 27.3%
2028 23% 26.8%
2029 22.7% 26.4%
2030 22.4% 26%
2031 22.1% 25.6%
2032 21.8% 25.2%
2033 21.5% 24.8%
2034 21.3% 24.5%
2035 21% 24.1%
2036 20.8% 23.8%
2037 20.6% 23.4%
2038 20.4% 23%
2039 20.2% 22.7%
2040 19.9% 22.4%
2041 19.7% 22.1%
2042 19.5% 21.7%
2043 19.3% 21.4%
2044 19.1% 21.1%
2045 18.8% 20.8%
2046 18.6% 20.5%
2047 18.4% 20.3%
2048 18.2% 20%
2049 18% 19.7%
2050 17.8% 19.5%

Children aged 0-14 make up 24.6% of the population in India and 28.4% in Nepal in 2024, compared to 38.6% and 41.5% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of India and Nepal compared.

Natural population change in India vs Nepal by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +1.06% in India and +1.37% in Nepal. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

India
Nepal

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
India Nepal
1960 10,237,489 203,374
1961 10,468,816 209,917
1962 10,743,409 215,368
1963 11,016,705 219,586
1964 11,285,378 227,948
1965 10,925,714 233,726
1966 11,089,894 241,716
1967 11,279,897 249,240
1968 12,006,807 258,259
1969 12,167,671 264,560
1970 12,417,866 272,439
1971 12,787,104 280,752
1972 13,041,792 286,708
1973 13,412,707 288,750
1974 13,795,836 303,078
1975 13,958,642 312,479
1976 14,435,504 323,222
1977 14,575,662 332,843
1978 14,898,145 345,765
1979 15,392,957 355,597
1980 16,018,786 364,254
1981 16,422,159 374,145
1982 16,790,507 385,741
1983 17,219,127 399,103
1984 17,698,810 411,122
1985 17,968,697 423,240
1986 18,455,495 434,802
1987 18,496,213 449,400
1988 18,702,916 463,581
1989 18,848,915 478,771
1990 18,893,588 495,202
1991 19,049,524 512,233
1992 19,132,757 533,029
1993 19,152,399 561,549
1994 19,310,798 578,293
1995 19,396,161 591,283
1996 19,442,699 580,099
1997 19,494,098 565,882
1998 19,569,575 562,787
1999 19,648,424 557,847
2000 19,984,160 554,506
2001 20,182,573 542,118
2002 20,024,621 525,045
2003 19,720,507 516,575
2004 19,469,758 504,853
2005 19,034,839 489,093
2006 18,641,737 475,335
2007 18,331,648 464,780
2008 18,234,926 452,353
2009 18,286,055 441,290
2010 17,991,935 432,631
2011 17,793,362 429,957
2012 17,552,365 430,151
2013 17,107,541 424,804
2014 16,165,943 423,166
2015 16,211,195 410,565
2016 16,202,593 415,921
2017 15,394,041 406,219
2018 15,451,168 394,576
2019 14,859,846 387,113
2020 13,366,946 373,553
2021 10,227,523 351,165
2022 13,912,130 379,021
2023 13,711,993 368,450

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: India vs Nepal

The maternal mortality rate, which is the probability of dying during childbirth or within 42 days of pregnancy termination, is 80 deaths per 100,000 live births in India, compared to 142 deaths in Nepal.

India
Nepal
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
India Nepal
1985 658 1,186
1986 624 1,143
1987 592 1,088
1988 562 1,038
1989 538 973
1990 516 920
1991 498 850
1992 482 768
1993 467 703
1994 451 657
1995 437 625
1996 422 584
1997 407 550
1998 393 522
1999 378 512
2000 362 480
2001 349 443
2002 330 414
2003 313 387
2004 296 364
2005 277 344
2006 258 318
2007 240 309
2008 223 302
2009 205 299
2010 188 297
2011 173 286
2012 160 272
2013 148 258
2014 137 245
2015 129 236
2016 121 214
2017 113 197
2018 107 183
2019 101 170
2020 101 153
2021 155 173
2022 90 139
2023 80 142

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 2.77% in India and 2.65% in Nepal. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

India
Nepal

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
India Nepal
1960 24.1% 32.8%
1961 23.8% 32.4%
1962 23.5% 31.9%
1963 23.2% 31.3%
1964 22.9% 30.7%
1965 22.7% 30%
1966 22.4% 29.4%
1967 22.2% 28.7%
1968 22% 28%
1969 21.7% 27.3%
1970 21.5% 26.7%
1971 21.2% 26.2%
1972 20.8% 25.6%
1973 20.5% 25%
1974 20.1% 24.5%
1975 19.6% 23.9%
1976 19.1% 23.3%
1977 18.6% 22.7%
1978 18% 22.1%
1979 17.5% 21.5%
1980 16.9% 20.8%
1981 16.4% 20.2%
1982 15.9% 19.5%
1983 15.5% 18.8%
1984 15% 18.2%
1985 14.6% 17.5%
1986 14.2% 16.8%
1987 13.8% 16.1%
1988 13.4% 15.3%
1989 13% 14.6%
1990 12.7% 13.9%
1991 12.3% 13.2%
1992 12% 12.5%
1993 11.6% 11.8%
1994 11.3% 11.2%
1995 11% 10.6%
1996 10.6% 10%
1997 10.3% 9.44%
1998 9.89% 8.91%
1999 9.53% 8.4%
2000 9.16% 7.92%
2001 8.8% 7.48%
2002 8.45% 7.06%
2003 8.11% 6.69%
2004 7.77% 6.35%
2005 7.44% 6.04%
2006 7.11% 5.76%
2007 6.79% 5.51%
2008 6.46% 5.27%
2009 6.14% 5.05%
2010 5.82% 4.83%
2011 5.5% 4.62%
2012 5.2% 4.41%
2013 4.91% 4.21%
2014 4.63% 4.01%
2015 4.36% 3.82%
2016 4.11% 3.64%
2017 3.87% 3.46%
2018 3.64% 3.3%
2019 3.43% 3.14%
2020 3.24% 2.99%
2021 3.06% 2.86%
2022 2.91% 2.75%
2023 2.77% 2.65%

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Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs India vs Nepal
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