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Fertility & birth rates in Sweden and Zambia

Updated on by Georank team

Sweden has an annual birth rate of 9.5 births per 1,000 people, compared to 33.1 for Zambia. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 1.45 in Sweden and 4.1 in Zambia — 182.8% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -33.2% in Sweden and by -41% in Zambia — in 1960, it was 2.17 and 6.95, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • Sweden is ranked 153/196 by birth rate compared to 19/196 for Zambia.
  • The mean age for first-time mothers is 30 years in Sweden, compared to 19.2 years in Zambia.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 31.7 in Sweden — it's 28.4 in Zambia.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 1.79 in Sweden vs 115.9 in Zambia.
  • In Sweden, 21.3% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 25.3% in Zambia.
  • Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was +0.05% in Sweden and +2.79% in Zambia.

Birth rate data compared

Sweden Zambia
Fertility rate 1.45 4.1
Birth rate 9.5 33.1
Birth rate rank 153/196 19/196
Age at first childbirth 30 years 19.2 years
Average age at childbearing 31.7 years 28.4 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 1.63 115
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 54 175.9
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 18.4 65.3
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 21.3% 25.3%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 n/a 47.5%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 100% 80.4%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.004% 0.09%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 0.14% 2.2%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 0.2% 3.09%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 0.25% 4.47%
Population change due to births and deaths +5,269 +577,660
Natural population change rank 125/196 34/196
Natural population change rate +0.05% +2.79%
Population growth +0.31% +2.85%
Population growth rank 148/197 22/197
Life expectancy 83.6 years 66.7 years

Fertility rate in Sweden vs Zambia 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 4.1 in Zambia in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.

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

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

Sweden
Factual

UN forecast
Zambia
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
Sweden Zambia
1960 2.17 6.95
1961 2.21 6.98
1962 2.25 7.01
1963 2.33 7.06
1964 2.47 7.09
1965 2.39 7.12
1966 2.37 7.14
1967 2.28 7.15
1968 2.07 7.18
1969 1.93 7.18
1970 1.92 7.22
1971 1.96 7.26
1972 1.91 7.3
1973 1.87 7.34
1974 1.87 7.36
1975 1.77 7.42
1976 1.68 7.39
1977 1.64 7.35
1978 1.6 7.29
1979 1.66 7.22
1980 1.68 7.14
1981 1.63 7.07
1982 1.62 7.04
1983 1.61 7.01
1984 1.66 6.97
1985 1.74 6.93
1986 1.8 6.87
1987 1.84 6.8
1988 1.96 6.7
1989 2.01 6.64
1990 2.13 6.57
1991 2.11 6.46
1992 2.09 6.35
1993 1.99 6.3
1994 1.88 6.26
1995 1.73 6.23
1996 1.6 6.18
1997 1.52 6.12
1998 1.5 6.07
1999 1.5 6
2000 1.54 5.92
2001 1.57 5.85
2002 1.65 5.77
2003 1.71 5.71
2004 1.75 5.7
2005 1.77 5.7
2006 1.85 5.68
2007 1.88 5.61
2008 1.91 5.53
2009 1.94 5.45
2010 1.98 5.36
2011 1.9 5.26
2012 1.91 5.14
2013 1.89 5.01
2014 1.88 4.89
2015 1.85 4.78
2016 1.85 4.67
2017 1.78 4.57
2018 1.76 4.49
2019 1.71 4.42
2020 1.67 4.32
2021 1.67 4.25
2022 1.53 4.18
2023 1.45 4.1
2024 1.45 4.04
2025 1.46 3.97
2026 1.46 3.91
2027 1.47 3.85
2028 1.47 3.77
2029 1.48 3.72
2030 1.48 3.67
2031 1.49 3.61
2032 1.49 3.56
2033 1.49 3.5
2034 1.5 3.45
2035 1.5 3.4
2036 1.5 3.35
2037 1.51 3.3
2038 1.51 3.25
2039 1.51 3.19
2040 1.52 3.15
2041 1.52 3.11
2042 1.53 3.07
2043 1.53 3.03
2044 1.53 3
2045 1.53 2.96
2046 1.53 2.93
2047 1.54 2.9
2048 1.54 2.87
2049 1.54 2.84
2050 1.54 2.81

Children 0-14 years as share of population

Sweden
Factual

UN forecast
Zambia
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
Sweden Zambia
1960 22.4% 46%
1961 22% 46.2%
1962 21.5% 46.3%
1963 21.2% 46.5%
1964 21% 46.7%
1965 20.9% 46.9%
1966 20.9% 46.9%
1967 21% 47%
1968 20.9% 47.1%
1969 20.9% 47.2%
1970 20.8% 47.4%
1971 20.8% 47.7%
1972 20.8% 48%
1973 20.7% 48.3%
1974 20.7% 48.6%
1975 20.7% 48.8%
1976 20.6% 49.1%
1977 20.5% 49.2%
1978 20.3% 49.4%
1979 19.9% 49.5%
1980 19.6% 49.5%
1981 19.2% 49.4%
1982 18.9% 49.3%
1983 18.6% 49.1%
1984 18.3% 49%
1985 18.2% 48.9%
1986 18% 48.8%
1987 17.9% 48.7%
1988 17.8% 48.6%
1989 17.8% 48.5%
1990 17.9% 48.4%
1991 18.1% 48.3%
1992 18.4% 48.2%
1993 18.6% 48.2%
1994 18.8% 48.2%
1995 18.9% 48.2%
1996 18.8% 48.2%
1997 18.7% 48.2%
1998 18.7% 48.2%
1999 18.6% 48.1%
2000 18.4% 48%
2001 18.3% 47.8%
2002 18.1% 47.6%
2003 17.9% 47.4%
2004 17.7% 47.3%
2005 17.4% 47.1%
2006 17.1% 47%
2007 16.9% 46.8%
2008 16.7% 46.6%
2009 16.6% 46.4%
2010 16.6% 46.3%
2011 16.7% 46.1%
2012 16.8% 45.9%
2013 17% 45.7%
2014 17.2% 45.5%
2015 17.3% 45.2%
2016 17.5% 44.9%
2017 17.7% 44.5%
2018 17.8% 44.1%
2019 17.8% 43.8%
2020 17.7% 43.3%
2021 17.7% 42.9%
2022 17.5% 42.4%
2023 17.2% 42%
2024 17% 41.5%
2025 16.7% 41%
2026 16.4% 40.5%
2027 16.2% 40%
2028 15.9% 39.6%
2029 15.6% 39.2%
2030 15.3% 38.8%
2031 15.1% 38.5%
2032 14.8% 38.1%
2033 14.5% 37.8%
2034 14.3% 37.5%
2035 14.1% 37.1%
2036 13.9% 36.8%
2037 13.8% 36.5%
2038 13.8% 36.1%
2039 13.8% 35.8%
2040 13.8% 35.4%
2041 13.8% 35.1%
2042 13.9% 34.7%
2043 13.9% 34.4%
2044 14% 34%
2045 14.1% 33.7%
2046 14.1% 33.3%
2047 14.2% 33%
2048 14.3% 32.6%
2049 14.4% 32.3%
2050 14.4% 32%

Children aged 0-14 make up 17% of the population in Sweden and 41.5% in Zambia in 2024, compared to 17.9% and 48.4% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of Sweden and Zambia compared.

Natural population change in Sweden vs Zambia by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +0.2% in Sweden and +2.87% in Zambia. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

Sweden
Zambia

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
Sweden Zambia
1960 27,693 102,335
1961 30,832 106,318
1962 30,246 110,173
1963 35,741 114,555
1964 45,968 117,197
1965 44,857 122,814
1966 45,286 127,164
1967 41,700 131,938
1968 30,858 137,315
1969 23,904 142,660
1970 30,563 149,380
1971 31,583 155,249
1972 28,428 161,648
1973 24,409 168,258
1974 23,664 174,484
1975 14,746 182,258
1976 8,222 186,762
1977 7,426 191,557
1978 4,138 194,933
1979 4,976 197,578
1980 5,818 198,817
1981 1,664 202,822
1982 1,665 207,621
1983 833 212,712
1984 3,335 216,695
1985 4,175 221,351
1986 9,206 224,768
1987 11,757 227,813
1988 15,186 230,118
1989 24,629 233,429
1990 29,100 235,835
1991 29,299 237,957
1992 28,605 239,953
1993 20,924 245,917
1994 20,196 252,023
1995 9,710 257,897
1996 1,768 262,468
1997 -3,539 268,198
1998 -3,541 275,568
1999 -6,201 283,297
2000 -2,662 293,186
2001 -1,779 302,682
2002 893 316,041
2003 6,271 331,189
2004 9,893 349,352
2005 9,030 368,756
2006 15,436 387,891
2007 15,552 403,729
2008 18,439 419,560
2009 21,387 434,458
2010 25,320 448,337
2011 21,733 459,743
2012 20,943 469,406
2013 23,041 476,846
2014 26,179 483,663
2015 23,518 491,021
2016 25,800 497,521
2017 24,138 504,630
2018 23,403 515,644
2019 25,697 528,089
2020 14,495 536,484
2021 22,914 535,629
2022 10,487 563,456
2023 5,269 577,660

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: Sweden vs Zambia

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 85 deaths in Zambia.

Sweden
Zambia
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
Sweden Zambia
1985 8 596
1986 8 619
1987 8 630
1988 9 635
1989 9 635
1990 8 625
1991 8 611
1992 8 581
1993 8 532
1994 7 507
1995 7 466
1996 6 433
1997 6 403
1998 6 392
1999 6 378
2000 5 340
2001 5 306
2002 5 274
2003 5 250
2004 5 260
2005 5 264
2006 5 262
2007 5 324
2008 5 394
2009 5 406
2010 5 332
2011 5 291
2012 5 256
2013 5 213
2014 5 174
2015 5 154
2016 5 158
2017 5 141
2018 5 117
2019 4 103
2020 5 99
2021 5 140
2022 5 89
2023 4 85

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 0.25% in Sweden and 4.47% in Zambia. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

Sweden
Zambia

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 Zambia
1960 1.96% 20.5%
1961 1.92% 20.1%
1962 1.86% 19.8%
1963 1.79% 19.5%
1964 1.71% 19.2%
1965 1.63% 19%
1966 1.56% 18.9%
1967 1.49% 18.7%
1968 1.44% 18.5%
1969 1.39% 18.3%
1970 1.34% 17.9%
1971 1.29% 17.4%
1972 1.23% 16.9%
1973 1.16% 16.3%
1974 1.09% 15.9%
1975 1.03% 15.5%
1976 0.98% 15.4%
1977 0.94% 15.3%
1978 0.9% 15.3%
1979 0.87% 15.4%
1980 0.84% 15.5%
1981 0.82% 15.6%
1982 0.8% 15.7%
1983 0.78% 15.9%
1984 0.77% 16.2%
1985 0.76% 16.6%
1986 0.75% 17%
1987 0.74% 17.3%
1988 0.73% 17.7%
1989 0.72% 17.9%
1990 0.7% 18.1%
1991 0.66% 18.1%
1992 0.62% 18.1%
1993 0.57% 17.9%
1994 0.52% 17.7%
1995 0.48% 17.3%
1996 0.46% 17%
1997 0.44% 16.7%
1998 0.42% 16.3%
1999 0.41% 15.9%
2000 0.41% 15.3%
2001 0.4% 14.4%
2002 0.4% 13.4%
2003 0.39% 12.4%
2004 0.37% 11.4%
2005 0.36% 10.5%
2006 0.35% 9.71%
2007 0.33% 9.14%
2008 0.32% 8.62%
2009 0.31% 8%
2010 0.31% 7.57%
2011 0.3% 7.31%
2012 0.3% 7.04%
2013 0.29% 6.72%
2014 0.29% 6.38%
2015 0.29% 6.15%
2016 0.28% 5.9%
2017 0.28% 5.61%
2018 0.27% 5.52%
2019 0.26% 5.41%
2020 0.26% 5.24%
2021 0.25% 4.92%
2022 0.25% 4.67%
2023 0.25% 4.47%

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs Sweden vs Zambia
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