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Fertility & birth rates in Iraq and Yemen

Updated on by Georank team

Iraq has an annual birth rate of 25.7 births per 1,000 people, compared to 35.2 for Yemen. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 3.25 in Iraq and 4.59 in Yemen — 41.3% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -38.7% in Iraq and by -42.5% in Yemen — in 1960, it was 5.3 and 7.99, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • Iraq is ranked 51/196 by birth rate compared to 11/196 for Yemen.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 28.6 in Iraq — it's 29.7 in Yemen.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 58 in Iraq vs 75.3 in Yemen.
  • In Iraq, 25.3% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 24.6% in Yemen.
  • Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was +2.16% in Iraq and +3.04% in Yemen.

Birth rate data compared

Iraq Yemen
Fertility rate 3.25 4.59
Birth rate 25.7 35.2
Birth rate rank 51/196 11/196
Age at first childbirth n/a 20.8 years
Average age at childbearing 28.6 years 29.7 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 56.2 72.6
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 162.2 203.5
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 45.1 80.8
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 25.3% 24.6%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 36.1% 29.2%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 95.6% 44.7%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.07% 0.12%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 1.29% 2.14%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 2.08% 3.47%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 2.26% 3.93%
Population change due to births and deaths +973,420 +1,198,150
Natural population change rank 20/196 14/196
Natural population change rate +2.16% +3.04%
Population growth +2.15% +3.03%
Population growth rank 48/197 14/197
Life expectancy 72.5 years 69.6 years

Fertility rate in Iraq vs Yemen 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 4.59 in Yemen in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.

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

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

Iraq
Factual

UN forecast
Yemen
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
Iraq Yemen
1960 5.3 7.99
1961 5.8 8
1962 6.99 8.01
1963 7.01 8.03
1964 7.01 8.07
1965 7.02 8.1
1966 7.02 8.14
1967 7.03 8.17
1968 7.06 8.19
1969 7.08 8.22
1970 7.07 8.23
1971 7.06 8.26
1972 7.02 8.27
1973 6.99 8.29
1974 6.95 8.33
1975 6.91 8.37
1976 6.86 8.42
1977 6.8 8.47
1978 6.73 8.5
1979 6.66 8.67
1980 6.59 8.71
1981 6.53 8.75
1982 6.46 8.79
1983 6.39 8.83
1984 6.32 8.85
1985 6.25 8.86
1986 6.18 8.86
1987 6.11 8.83
1988 6.05 8.79
1989 5.99 8.71
1990 5.93 8.61
1991 5.83 8.46
1992 5.72 8.27
1993 5.61 8.05
1994 5.49 7.8
1995 5.36 7.53
1996 5.25 7
1997 5.19 6.82
1998 5.11 6.64
1999 5.04 6.49
2000 4.92 6.32
2001 4.8 6.14
2002 4.67 5.97
2003 4.58 5.84
2004 4.53 5.71
2005 4.45 5.56
2006 4.46 5.41
2007 4.4 5.26
2008 4.37 5.11
2009 4.38 5
2010 4.46 4.81
2011 4.59 4.63
2012 4.54 4.63
2013 4.44 4.62
2014 4.31 4.62
2015 4.08 4.62
2016 3.84 4.61
2017 3.64 4.61
2018 3.55 4.61
2019 3.48 4.6
2020 3.42 4.6
2021 3.36 4.6
2022 3.29 4.59
2023 3.25 4.59
2024 3.22 4.5
2025 3.17 4.41
2026 3.13 4.33
2027 3.09 4.23
2028 3.05 4.14
2029 3.01 4.06
2030 2.97 3.97
2031 2.94 3.87
2032 2.89 3.8
2033 2.86 3.73
2034 2.83 3.66
2035 2.79 3.59
2036 2.77 3.51
2037 2.74 3.44
2038 2.71 3.38
2039 2.69 3.32
2040 2.66 3.26
2041 2.64 3.21
2042 2.61 3.16
2043 2.59 3.12
2044 2.57 3.07
2045 2.54 3.02
2046 2.52 2.97
2047 2.5 2.93
2048 2.48 2.89
2049 2.47 2.85
2050 2.45 2.81

Children 0-14 years as share of population

Iraq
Factual

UN forecast
Yemen
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
Iraq Yemen
1960 39.8% 40.3%
1961 39.9% 40.4%
1962 40.4% 40.4%
1963 41% 40.6%
1964 41.5% 40.9%
1965 42.1% 41.3%
1966 42.5% 41.8%
1967 42.8% 42.3%
1968 43% 42.8%
1969 43.3% 43.3%
1970 43.6% 43.8%
1971 44.1% 44.3%
1972 44.7% 44.8%
1973 45.5% 45.3%
1974 46.2% 45.7%
1975 46.7% 46.2%
1976 47.2% 46.6%
1977 47.3% 47%
1978 47.1% 47.5%
1979 47% 47.9%
1980 46.8% 48.3%
1981 46.7% 48.7%
1982 46.6% 49.1%
1983 46.5% 49.4%
1984 46.3% 49.7%
1985 46.2% 50%
1986 46% 50.3%
1987 45.8% 50.5%
1988 45.6% 50.7%
1989 45.4% 50.9%
1990 45.2% 51.1%
1991 45% 51.2%
1992 44.9% 51.2%
1993 44.7% 51.2%
1994 44.6% 51.1%
1995 44.4% 50.9%
1996 44.3% 50.6%
1997 44.1% 50.3%
1998 44% 49.9%
1999 43.8% 49.5%
2000 43.7% 49%
2001 43.5% 48.6%
2002 43.3% 48.1%
2003 43.1% 47.6%
2004 42.9% 47.1%
2005 42.6% 46.5%
2006 42.3% 45.9%
2007 42.1% 45.3%
2008 41.8% 44.7%
2009 41.5% 44.1%
2010 41.2% 43.5%
2011 41.1% 43%
2012 41% 42.7%
2013 40.8% 42.3%
2014 40.6% 42.1%
2015 40.4% 41.8%
2016 40.1% 41.7%
2017 39.7% 41.6%
2018 39.3% 41.5%
2019 38.9% 41.4%
2020 38.5% 41.4%
2021 38.1% 41.4%
2022 37.6% 41.3%
2023 37.1% 41.2%
2024 36.6% 41.1%
2025 36% 41%
2026 35.4% 40.9%
2027 34.7% 40.8%
2028 34.1% 40.6%
2029 33.4% 40.3%
2030 32.9% 40%
2031 32.5% 39.6%
2032 32.1% 39.2%
2033 31.8% 38.7%
2034 31.6% 38.2%
2035 31.3% 37.7%
2036 31.1% 37.1%
2037 30.9% 36.5%
2038 30.6% 36%
2039 30.4% 35.4%
2040 30.1% 34.8%
2041 29.9% 34.3%
2042 29.7% 33.8%
2043 29.4% 33.4%
2044 29.1% 33%
2045 28.8% 32.6%
2046 28.6% 32.3%
2047 28.3% 32%
2048 28% 31.7%
2049 27.7% 31.4%
2050 27.4% 31.1%

Children aged 0-14 make up 36.6% of the population in Iraq and 41.1% in Yemen in 2024, compared to 45.2% and 51.1% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of Iraq and Yemen compared.

Natural population change in Iraq vs Yemen by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +2.37% in Iraq and +3.02% in Yemen. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

Iraq
Yemen

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
Iraq Yemen
1960 155,651 122,994
1961 184,792 129,787
1962 247,520 131,262
1963 254,046 133,781
1964 262,825 147,299
1965 274,551 155,398
1966 285,507 164,091
1967 298,192 173,637
1968 310,644 182,518
1969 324,792 196,305
1970 338,030 207,613
1971 351,464 219,095
1972 362,334 229,322
1973 373,191 240,235
1974 376,197 252,737
1975 385,916 266,815
1976 402,260 281,078
1977 410,229 296,115
1978 418,756 312,439
1979 428,458 336,378
1980 419,653 355,767
1981 416,998 374,482
1982 428,336 392,302
1983 439,800 414,823
1984 455,740 434,674
1985 467,445 455,576
1986 474,348 464,665
1987 488,742 493,337
1988 476,778 513,296
1989 496,852 530,464
1990 518,575 549,654
1991 550,146 565,837
1992 591,886 582,072
1993 606,700 595,459
1994 634,344 602,363
1995 642,977 607,966
1996 652,866 588,786
1997 667,582 604,443
1998 684,152 615,488
1999 702,170 633,166
2000 715,771 646,694
2001 729,704 658,704
2002 739,419 672,494
2003 746,159 694,457
2004 761,563 710,493
2005 776,603 726,708
2006 797,342 750,082
2007 784,119 764,780
2008 802,382 779,123
2009 855,096 798,911
2010 906,369 803,246
2011 971,082 806,359
2012 999,987 845,645
2013 1,026,036 884,929
2014 1,040,726 920,330
2015 1,007,561 939,922
2016 946,968 975,697
2017 924,507 1,006,725
2018 938,310 1,020,238
2019 942,972 1,056,432
2020 919,953 1,086,322
2021 941,924 1,103,622
2022 962,501 1,153,375
2023 973,420 1,198,150

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: Iraq vs Yemen

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 118 deaths in Yemen.

Iraq
Yemen
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
Iraq Yemen
1985 152 430
1986 147 430
1987 145 400
1988 174 388
1989 190 371
1990 195 359
1991 157 341
1992 126 330
1993 132 319
1994 142 311
1995 152 296
1996 158 282
1997 165 271
1998 163 260
1999 156 250
2000 146 241
2001 137 231
2002 128 218
2003 125 205
2004 122 194
2005 118 181
2006 120 171
2007 117 161
2008 109 153
2009 107 149
2010 107 144
2011 105 140
2012 100 137
2013 96 135
2014 90 134
2015 86 135
2016 87 134
2017 81 142
2018 76 134
2019 74 131
2020 63 135
2021 77 156
2022 59 125
2023 66 118

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 2.26% in Iraq and 3.93% in Yemen. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

Iraq
Yemen

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 Yemen
1960 19% 42.9%
1961 17.9% 42.2%
1962 16.9% 41.5%
1963 16% 40.8%
1964 15.1% 40%
1965 14.4% 39%
1966 13.6% 38%
1967 13% 36.8%
1968 12.4% 35.6%
1969 11.8% 34.3%
1970 11.2% 33%
1971 10.7% 31.8%
1972 10.3% 30.6%
1973 9.79% 29.5%
1974 9.35% 28.4%
1975 8.93% 27.2%
1976 8.54% 26%
1977 8.17% 24.7%
1978 7.83% 23.4%
1979 7.52% 22.1%
1980 7.23% 20.8%
1981 6.96% 19.6%
1982 6.71% 18.4%
1983 6.49% 17.2%
1984 6.28% 16.2%
1985 6.09% 15.3%
1986 5.91% 14.6%
1987 5.75% 14%
1988 6.92% 13.4%
1989 8.12% 12.9%
1990 7.97% 12.5%
1991 6.49% 12.1%
1992 5.17% 11.8%
1993 5.07% 11.6%
1994 4.98% 11.3%
1995 4.89% 11.1%
1996 4.8% 10.8%
1997 4.71% 10.5%
1998 4.61% 10.2%
1999 4.52% 9.77%
2000 4.43% 9.32%
2001 4.33% 8.84%
2002 4.24% 8.36%
2003 4.16% 7.9%
2004 4.07% 7.47%
2005 3.97% 7.06%
2006 3.88% 6.68%
2007 3.78% 6.33%
2008 3.67% 6.02%
2009 3.56% 5.74%
2010 3.46% 5.49%
2011 3.35% 5.3%
2012 3.24% 5.14%
2013 3.14% 4.95%
2014 3.04% 4.84%
2015 2.94% 4.9%
2016 2.84% 4.77%
2017 2.75% 4.66%
2018 2.66% 4.7%
2019 2.57% 4.59%
2020 2.49% 4.32%
2021 2.41% 4.24%
2022 2.33% 4.08%
2023 2.26% 3.93%

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs Iraq vs Yemen
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