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Fertility & birth rates in Sweden and Syria

Updated on by Georank team

Sweden has an annual birth rate of 9.5 births per 1,000 people, compared to 22.1 for Syria. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 1.45 in Sweden and 2.71 in Syria — 87% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -33.2% in Sweden and by -63.9% in Syria — in 1960, it was 2.17 and 7.51, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • Sweden is ranked 153/196 by birth rate compared to 61/196 for Syria.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 31.7 in Sweden — it's 28.8 in Syria.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 1.79 in Sweden vs 38.9 in Syria.
  • In Sweden, 21.3% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 27.7% in Syria.
  • Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was +0.05% in Sweden and +1.71% in Syria.

Birth rate data compared

Sweden Syria
Fertility rate 1.45 2.71
Birth rate 9.5 22.1
Birth rate rank 153/196 61/196
Age at first childbirth 30 years n/a
Average age at childbearing 31.7 years 28.8 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 1.63 38
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 54 135
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 18.4 35
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 21.3% 27.7%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 n/a 37.5%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 100% 96.2%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.004% 0.02%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 0.14% 1%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 0.2% 1.9%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 0.25% 2.06%
Population change due to births and deaths +5,269 +402,713
Natural population change rank 125/196 44/196
Natural population change rate +0.05% +1.71%
Population growth +0.31% +4.57%
Population growth rank 148/197 5/197
Life expectancy 83.6 years 73 years

Fertility rate in Sweden vs Syria chart

According to the latest available data on birth rates, the fertility rate in Sweden was 1.45 children per woman in 2023, compared to 2.71 in Syria in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.

Check Sweden vs Syria population clock for a dynamic visualization of the changing population.

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

Sweden
Factual

UN forecast
Syria
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
Sweden Syria
1960 2.17 7.51
1961 2.21 7.5
1962 2.25 7.51
1963 2.33 7.51
1964 2.47 7.53
1965 2.39 7.53
1966 2.37 7.55
1967 2.28 7.56
1968 2.07 7.57
1969 1.93 7.59
1970 1.92 7.62
1971 1.96 7.6
1972 1.91 7.57
1973 1.87 7.55
1974 1.87 7.52
1975 1.77 7.49
1976 1.68 7.45
1977 1.64 7.42
1978 1.6 7.35
1979 1.66 7.25
1980 1.68 7.12
1981 1.63 6.97
1982 1.62 6.81
1983 1.61 6.69
1984 1.66 6.59
1985 1.74 6.48
1986 1.8 6.37
1987 1.84 6.2
1988 1.96 6
1989 2.01 5.78
1990 2.13 5.56
1991 2.11 5.34
1992 2.09 5.14
1993 1.99 4.99
1994 1.88 4.86
1995 1.73 4.7
1996 1.6 4.54
1997 1.52 4.37
1998 1.5 4.25
1999 1.5 4.14
2000 1.54 4.07
2001 1.57 3.98
2002 1.65 3.87
2003 1.71 3.76
2004 1.75 3.68
2005 1.77 3.61
2006 1.85 3.56
2007 1.88 3.54
2008 1.91 3.48
2009 1.94 3.42
2010 1.98 3.36
2011 1.9 3.29
2012 1.91 3.22
2013 1.89 3.17
2014 1.88 3.12
2015 1.85 3.07
2016 1.85 3.01
2017 1.78 2.97
2018 1.76 2.93
2019 1.71 2.88
2020 1.67 2.84
2021 1.67 2.8
2022 1.53 2.75
2023 1.45 2.71
2024 1.45 2.7
2025 1.46 2.66
2026 1.46 2.62
2027 1.47 2.58
2028 1.47 2.54
2029 1.48 2.51
2030 1.48 2.48
2031 1.49 2.45
2032 1.49 2.42
2033 1.49 2.39
2034 1.5 2.36
2035 1.5 2.33
2036 1.5 2.31
2037 1.51 2.29
2038 1.51 2.26
2039 1.51 2.24
2040 1.52 2.22
2041 1.52 2.2
2042 1.53 2.18
2043 1.53 2.16
2044 1.53 2.14
2045 1.53 2.13
2046 1.53 2.11
2047 1.54 2.1
2048 1.54 2.08
2049 1.54 2.07
2050 1.54 2.05

Children 0-14 years as share of population

Sweden
Factual

UN forecast
Syria
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
Sweden Syria
1960 22.4% 45.3%
1961 22% 45.7%
1962 21.5% 46.1%
1963 21.2% 46.3%
1964 21% 46.6%
1965 20.9% 46.9%
1966 20.9% 47.3%
1967 21% 47.5%
1968 20.9% 47.8%
1969 20.9% 48%
1970 20.8% 48.2%
1971 20.8% 48.3%
1972 20.8% 48.4%
1973 20.7% 48.5%
1974 20.7% 48.5%
1975 20.7% 48.6%
1976 20.6% 48.6%
1977 20.5% 48.7%
1978 20.3% 48.7%
1979 19.9% 48.7%
1980 19.6% 48.7%
1981 19.2% 48.7%
1982 18.9% 48.5%
1983 18.6% 48.4%
1984 18.3% 48.2%
1985 18.2% 48%
1986 18% 47.7%
1987 17.9% 47.5%
1988 17.8% 47.2%
1989 17.8% 46.9%
1990 17.9% 46.6%
1991 18.1% 46.1%
1992 18.4% 45.7%
1993 18.6% 45.2%
1994 18.8% 44.7%
1995 18.9% 44.2%
1996 18.8% 43.8%
1997 18.7% 43.3%
1998 18.7% 42.9%
1999 18.6% 42.4%
2000 18.4% 41.9%
2001 18.3% 41.3%
2002 18.1% 40.8%
2003 17.9% 40.2%
2004 17.7% 39.6%
2005 17.4% 39.1%
2006 17.1% 38.1%
2007 16.9% 36.7%
2008 16.7% 36.3%
2009 16.6% 36.3%
2010 16.6% 36.1%
2011 16.7% 36.1%
2012 16.8% 36.5%
2013 17% 38%
2014 17.2% 39.8%
2015 17.3% 40.6%
2016 17.5% 40.2%
2017 17.7% 39.3%
2018 17.8% 37.9%
2019 17.8% 36.1%
2020 17.7% 34.6%
2021 17.7% 33.4%
2022 17.5% 31.9%
2023 17.2% 30.3%
2024 17% 29.2%
2025 16.7% 28.4%
2026 16.4% 27.9%
2027 16.2% 27.5%
2028 15.9% 27.3%
2029 15.6% 27.3%
2030 15.3% 27.6%
2031 15.1% 27.9%
2032 14.8% 28.3%
2033 14.5% 28.6%
2034 14.3% 28.8%
2035 14.1% 29%
2036 13.9% 29%
2037 13.8% 28.9%
2038 13.8% 28.7%
2039 13.8% 28.4%
2040 13.8% 28%
2041 13.8% 27.5%
2042 13.9% 27%
2043 13.9% 26.4%
2044 14% 25.8%
2045 14.1% 25.1%
2046 14.1% 24.5%
2047 14.2% 23.9%
2048 14.3% 23.3%
2049 14.4% 22.8%
2050 14.4% 22.3%

Children aged 0-14 make up 17% of the population in Sweden and 29.2% in Syria in 2024, compared to 17.9% and 46.6% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of Sweden and Syria compared.

Natural population change in Sweden vs Syria by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +0.2% in Sweden and +1.46% in Syria. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

Sweden
Syria

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
Sweden Syria
1960 27,693 143,687
1961 30,832 151,485
1962 30,246 159,155
1963 35,741 166,555
1964 45,968 174,549
1965 44,857 182,560
1966 45,286 191,122
1967 41,700 199,223
1968 30,858 209,454
1969 23,904 219,114
1970 30,563 230,117
1971 31,583 239,610
1972 28,428 249,027
1973 24,409 254,687
1974 23,664 270,735
1975 14,746 282,299
1976 8,222 294,267
1977 7,426 306,630
1978 4,138 316,724
1979 4,976 324,943
1980 5,818 332,464
1981 1,664 330,237
1982 1,665 319,664
1983 833 355,375
1984 3,335 366,768
1985 4,175 379,231
1986 9,206 390,821
1987 11,757 399,159
1988 15,186 404,285
1989 24,629 406,111
1990 29,100 409,177
1991 29,299 410,830
1992 28,605 412,878
1993 20,924 420,244
1994 20,196 426,996
1995 9,710 430,172
1996 1,768 430,765
1997 -3,539 429,887
1998 -3,541 433,447
1999 -6,201 439,261
2000 -2,662 446,211
2001 -1,779 451,503
2002 893 453,967
2003 6,271 457,000
2004 9,893 461,209
2005 9,030 468,960
2006 15,436 480,616
2007 15,552 529,162
2008 18,439 576,593
2009 21,387 559,314
2010 25,320 558,666
2011 21,733 543,950
2012 20,943 475,520
2013 23,041 419,341
2014 26,179 333,116
2015 23,518 253,977
2016 25,800 236,007
2017 24,138 237,214
2018 23,403 242,530
2019 25,697 293,762
2020 14,495 327,992
2021 22,914 350,560
2022 10,487 369,750
2023 5,269 402,713

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: Sweden vs Syria

The maternal mortality rate, which is the probability of dying during childbirth or within 42 days of pregnancy termination, is 4 deaths per 100,000 live births in Sweden, compared to 20 deaths in Syria.

Sweden
Syria
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
Sweden Syria
1985 8 55
1986 8 52
1987 8 48
1988 9 44
1989 9 41
1990 8 37
1991 8 35
1992 8 33
1993 8 32
1994 7 32
1995 7 33
1996 6 34
1997 6 34
1998 6 34
1999 6 32
2000 5 31
2001 5 29
2002 5 26
2003 5 24
2004 5 22
2005 5 21
2006 5 20
2007 5 19
2008 5 20
2009 5 19
2010 5 19
2011 5 21
2012 5 22
2013 5 25
2014 5 25
2015 5 24
2016 5 23
2017 5 23
2018 5 21
2019 4 24
2020 5 23
2021 5 30
2022 5 21
2023 4 20

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 0.25% in Sweden and 2.06% in Syria. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

Sweden
Syria

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
Sweden Syria
1960 1.96% 16.9%
1961 1.92% 16.1%
1962 1.86% 15.3%
1963 1.79% 14.7%
1964 1.71% 14.1%
1965 1.63% 13.5%
1966 1.56% 12.9%
1967 1.49% 12.3%
1968 1.44% 11.7%
1969 1.39% 11.1%
1970 1.34% 10.5%
1971 1.29% 9.91%
1972 1.23% 9.4%
1973 1.16% 8.92%
1974 1.09% 8.47%
1975 1.03% 8.03%
1976 0.98% 7.61%
1977 0.94% 7.19%
1978 0.9% 6.79%
1979 0.87% 6.4%
1980 0.84% 6.03%
1981 0.82% 6.33%
1982 0.8% 7.06%
1983 0.78% 5.1%
1984 0.77% 4.84%
1985 0.76% 4.6%
1986 0.75% 4.39%
1987 0.74% 4.19%
1988 0.73% 4.02%
1989 0.72% 3.85%
1990 0.7% 3.7%
1991 0.66% 3.55%
1992 0.62% 3.4%
1993 0.57% 3.24%
1994 0.52% 3.09%
1995 0.48% 2.94%
1996 0.46% 2.8%
1997 0.44% 2.66%
1998 0.42% 2.53%
1999 0.41% 2.42%
2000 0.41% 2.32%
2001 0.4% 2.23%
2002 0.4% 2.15%
2003 0.39% 2.09%
2004 0.37% 2.03%
2005 0.36% 1.98%
2006 0.35% 1.95%
2007 0.33% 1.92%
2008 0.32% 1.9%
2009 0.31% 1.9%
2010 0.31% 1.9%
2011 0.3% 2.17%
2012 0.3% 3.39%
2013 0.29% 3.65%
2014 0.29% 3.53%
2015 0.29% 3.7%
2016 0.28% 3.22%
2017 0.28% 3.3%
2018 0.27% 3.26%
2019 0.26% 2.5%
2020 0.26% 2.24%
2021 0.25% 2.1%
2022 0.25% 2.11%
2023 0.25% 2.06%

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Birth rate comparisons

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