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Fertility & birth rates in Iraq and Somalia

Updated on by Georank team

Iraq has an annual birth rate of 25.7 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 3.25 in Iraq and 6.13 in Somalia — 88.7% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -38.7% in Iraq and by -15.4% in Somalia — in 1960, it was 5.3 and 7.25, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • Iraq is ranked 51/196 by birth rate compared to 2/196 for Somalia.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 28.6 in Iraq — it's 29.4 in Somalia.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 58 in Iraq vs 117.1 in Somalia.
  • In Iraq, 25.3% 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 +2.16% in Iraq and +3.31% in Somalia.

Birth rate data compared

Iraq Somalia
Fertility rate 3.25 6.13
Birth rate 25.7 43
Birth rate rank 51/196 2/196
Average age at childbearing 28.6 years 29.4 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 56.2 114.3
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 162.2 269
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 45.1 98.9
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 25.3% 22.4%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 36.1% 0.9%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 95.6% 31.9%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.07% 0.56%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 1.29% 3.49%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 2.08% 6.78%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 2.26% 10.4%
Population change due to births and deaths +973,420 +608,203
Natural population change rank 20/196 31/196
Natural population change rate +2.16% +3.31%
Population growth +2.15% +3.54%
Population growth rank 48/197 9/197
Life expectancy 72.5 years 59.1 years

Fertility rate in Iraq vs Somalia chart

According to the latest available data on birth rates, the fertility rate in Iraq was 3.25 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 Iraq vs Somalia population clock for a dynamic visualization of the changing population.

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

Iraq
Factual

UN forecast
Somalia
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
Iraq Somalia
1960 5.3 7.25
1961 5.8 7.25
1962 6.99 7.26
1963 7.01 7.26
1964 7.01 7.26
1965 7.02 7.26
1966 7.02 7.26
1967 7.03 7.25
1968 7.06 7.23
1969 7.08 7.21
1970 7.07 7.18
1971 7.06 7.15
1972 7.02 7.12
1973 6.99 7.09
1974 6.95 7.06
1975 6.91 7.03
1976 6.86 7.02
1977 6.8 7
1978 6.73 7.13
1979 6.66 7.16
1980 6.59 7.18
1981 6.53 7.23
1982 6.46 7.25
1983 6.39 7.28
1984 6.32 7.3
1985 6.25 7.33
1986 6.18 7.35
1987 6.11 7.37
1988 6.05 7.4
1989 5.99 7.42
1990 5.93 7.44
1991 5.83 7.47
1992 5.72 7.5
1993 5.61 7.53
1994 5.49 7.54
1995 5.36 7.58
1996 5.25 7.62
1997 5.19 7.66
1998 5.11 7.66
1999 5.04 7.66
2000 4.92 7.65
2001 4.8 7.64
2002 4.67 7.63
2003 4.58 7.6
2004 4.53 7.57
2005 4.45 7.53
2006 4.46 7.49
2007 4.4 7.46
2008 4.37 7.42
2009 4.38 7.38
2010 4.46 7.32
2011 4.59 7.27
2012 4.54 7.21
2013 4.44 7.14
2014 4.31 7.06
2015 4.08 6.98
2016 3.84 6.88
2017 3.64 6.77
2018 3.55 6.66
2019 3.48 6.56
2020 3.42 6.45
2021 3.36 6.35
2022 3.29 6.26
2023 3.25 6.13
2024 3.22 6.01
2025 3.17 5.91
2026 3.13 5.8
2027 3.09 5.68
2028 3.05 5.58
2029 3.01 5.47
2030 2.97 5.35
2031 2.94 5.25
2032 2.89 5.14
2033 2.86 5.04
2034 2.83 4.94
2035 2.79 4.84
2036 2.77 4.74
2037 2.74 4.63
2038 2.71 4.52
2039 2.69 4.44
2040 2.66 4.35
2041 2.64 4.26
2042 2.61 4.16
2043 2.59 4.07
2044 2.57 3.99
2045 2.54 3.91
2046 2.52 3.84
2047 2.5 3.78
2048 2.48 3.71
2049 2.47 3.65
2050 2.45 3.6

Children 0-14 years as share of population

Iraq
Factual

UN forecast
Somalia
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
Iraq Somalia
1960 39.8% 44.4%
1961 39.9% 44.7%
1962 40.4% 44.8%
1963 41% 45%
1964 41.5% 45.1%
1965 42.1% 45.1%
1966 42.5% 44.9%
1967 42.8% 44.8%
1968 43% 44.7%
1969 43.3% 44.6%
1970 43.6% 44.5%
1971 44.1% 44.5%
1972 44.7% 44.4%
1973 45.5% 44.4%
1974 46.2% 44.4%
1975 46.7% 44.3%
1976 47.2% 44.3%
1977 47.3% 44.3%
1978 47.1% 44.4%
1979 47% 44.5%
1980 46.8% 44.6%
1981 46.7% 44.8%
1982 46.6% 45%
1983 46.5% 45.2%
1984 46.3% 45.4%
1985 46.2% 45.6%
1986 46% 45.8%
1987 45.8% 46%
1988 45.6% 46.3%
1989 45.4% 46.7%
1990 45.2% 47%
1991 45% 47%
1992 44.9% 46.5%
1993 44.7% 46.4%
1994 44.6% 46.5%
1995 44.4% 46.7%
1996 44.3% 46.9%
1997 44.1% 47%
1998 44% 47.1%
1999 43.8% 47.2%
2000 43.7% 47.4%
2001 43.5% 47.5%
2002 43.3% 47.6%
2003 43.1% 47.7%
2004 42.9% 47.9%
2005 42.6% 48.2%
2006 42.3% 48.6%
2007 42.1% 48.9%
2008 41.8% 48.9%
2009 41.5% 48.8%
2010 41.2% 48.7%
2011 41.1% 48.3%
2012 41% 47.9%
2013 40.8% 47.8%
2014 40.6% 47.7%
2015 40.4% 47.6%
2016 40.1% 47.5%
2017 39.7% 47.4%
2018 39.3% 47.3%
2019 38.9% 47.1%
2020 38.5% 47%
2021 38.1% 47%
2022 37.6% 46.8%
2023 37.1% 46.7%
2024 36.6% 46.6%
2025 36% 46.6%
2026 35.4% 46.5%
2027 34.7% 46.4%
2028 34.1% 46.1%
2029 33.4% 45.8%
2030 32.9% 45.4%
2031 32.5% 45.1%
2032 32.1% 44.7%
2033 31.8% 44.3%
2034 31.6% 43.9%
2035 31.3% 43.5%
2036 31.1% 43.1%
2037 30.9% 42.6%
2038 30.6% 42.1%
2039 30.4% 41.7%
2040 30.1% 41.2%
2041 29.9% 40.8%
2042 29.7% 40.3%
2043 29.4% 39.9%
2044 29.1% 39.4%
2045 28.8% 39%
2046 28.6% 38.6%
2047 28.3% 38.2%
2048 28% 37.8%
2049 27.7% 37.4%
2050 27.4% 37%

Children aged 0-14 make up 36.6% of the population in Iraq and 46.6% in Somalia in 2024, compared to 45.2% and 47% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of Iraq and Somalia compared.

Natural population change in Iraq vs Somalia by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +2.37% in Iraq and +3.34% in Somalia. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

Iraq
Somalia

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
Iraq Somalia
1960 155,651 73,850
1961 184,792 75,513
1962 247,520 77,737
1963 254,046 79,859
1964 262,825 82,042
1965 274,551 84,448
1966 285,507 86,930
1967 298,192 89,497
1968 310,644 92,208
1969 324,792 95,045
1970 338,030 98,025
1971 351,464 101,196
1972 362,334 104,493
1973 373,191 108,038
1974 376,197 104,813
1975 385,916 108,998
1976 402,260 113,319
1977 410,229 124,818
1978 418,756 132,689
1979 428,458 151,016
1980 419,653 174,790
1981 416,998 185,211
1982 428,336 182,793
1983 439,800 190,775
1984 455,740 199,017
1985 467,445 207,960
1986 474,348 218,416
1987 488,742 231,580
1988 476,778 215,599
1989 496,852 225,255
1990 518,575 225,162
1991 550,146 53,052
1992 591,886 57,495
1993 606,700 232,960
1994 634,344 246,950
1995 642,977 254,509
1996 652,866 264,807
1997 667,582 271,894
1998 684,152 284,779
1999 702,170 295,523
2000 715,771 306,651
2001 729,704 319,059
2002 739,419 331,215
2003 746,159 341,192
2004 761,563 351,959
2005 776,603 363,117
2006 797,342 372,597
2007 784,119 380,303
2008 802,382 394,258
2009 855,096 405,784
2010 906,369 385,571
2011 971,082 203,213
2012 999,987 399,468
2013 1,026,036 448,518
2014 1,040,726 464,481
2015 1,007,561 481,573
2016 946,968 495,132
2017 924,507 478,556
2018 938,310 514,244
2019 942,972 548,756
2020 919,953 561,311
2021 941,924 566,399
2022 962,501 551,450
2023 973,420 608,203

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: Iraq vs Somalia

The maternal mortality rate, which is the probability of dying during childbirth or within 42 days of pregnancy termination, is 66 deaths per 100,000 live births in Iraq, compared to 563 deaths in Somalia.

Iraq
Somalia
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
Iraq Somalia
1985 152 1,465
1986 147 1,452
1987 145 1,393
1988 174 1,423
1989 190 1,395
1990 195 1,358
1991 157 1,431
1992 126 1,339
1993 132 1,195
1994 142 1,254
1995 152 1,210
1996 158 1,225
1997 165 1,206
1998 163 1,177
1999 156 1,170
2000 146 1,150
2001 137 1,129
2002 128 1,121
2003 125 1,111
2004 122 1,104
2005 118 1,086
2006 120 1,085
2007 117 1,074
2008 109 1,035
2009 107 995
2010 107 1,062
2011 105 972
2012 100 894
2013 96 855
2014 90 816
2015 86 784
2016 87 754
2017 81 716
2018 76 727
2019 74 656
2020 63 655
2021 77 726
2022 59 622
2023 66 563

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 2.26% in Iraq and 10.4% in Somalia. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

Iraq
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
Iraq Somalia
1960 19% -
1961 17.9% -
1962 16.9% -
1963 16% -
1964 15.1% -
1965 14.4% -
1966 13.6% -
1967 13% -
1968 12.4% -
1969 11.8% -
1970 11.2% -
1971 10.7% -
1972 10.3% -
1973 9.79% -
1974 9.35% -
1975 8.93% -
1976 8.54% -
1977 8.17% -
1978 7.83% -
1979 7.52% -
1980 7.23% -
1981 6.96% -
1982 6.71% 20.1%
1983 6.49% 19.8%
1984 6.28% 19.5%
1985 6.09% 19.3%
1986 5.91% 19%
1987 5.75% 18.8%
1988 6.92% 18.6%
1989 8.12% 18.3%
1990 7.97% 18%
1991 6.49% 44.3%
1992 5.17% 45.6%
1993 5.07% 17.3%
1994 4.98% 17.2%
1995 4.89% 17.2%
1996 4.8% 17.2%
1997 4.71% 17.2%
1998 4.61% 17.2%
1999 4.52% 17.2%
2000 4.43% 17.2%
2001 4.33% 17.2%
2002 4.24% 17.2%
2003 4.16% 17.2%
2004 4.07% 17.2%
2005 3.97% 17.2%
2006 3.88% 17.2%
2007 3.78% 17%
2008 3.67% 16.6%
2009 3.56% 16.2%
2010 3.46% 18.6%
2011 3.35% 35.9%
2012 3.24% 18.4%
2013 3.14% 14.3%
2014 3.04% 13.8%
2015 2.94% 13.4%
2016 2.84% 13%
2017 2.75% 15.5%
2018 2.66% 13.6%
2019 2.57% 11.8%
2020 2.49% 11.4%
2021 2.41% 11.1%
2022 2.33% 14.3%
2023 2.26% 10.4%

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs Iraq vs Somalia
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