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Fertility & birth rates in Uganda and Zambia

Updated on by Georank team

Uganda has an annual birth rate of 35.2 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 4.28 in Uganda and 4.1 in Zambia — 4.25% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -38% in Uganda and by -41% in Zambia — in 1960, it was 6.91 and 6.95, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • Uganda is ranked 12/196 by birth rate compared to 19/196 for Zambia.
  • The mean age for first-time mothers is 19.4 years in Uganda, compared to 19.2 years in Zambia.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 28.2 in Uganda — it's 28.4 in Zambia.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 107 in Uganda vs 115.9 in Zambia.
  • In Uganda, 24.6% 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 +3.04% in Uganda and +2.79% in Zambia.

Birth rate data compared

Uganda Zambia
Fertility rate 4.28 4.1
Birth rate 35.2 33.1
Birth rate rank 12/196 19/196
Age at first childbirth 19.4 years 19.2 years
Average age at childbearing 28.2 years 28.4 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 102.9 115
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 197.1 175.9
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 67.5 65.3
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 24.6% 25.3%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 38% 47.5%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 74.2% 80.4%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.17% 0.09%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 1.79% 2.2%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 2.76% 3.09%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 3.88% 4.47%
Population change due to births and deaths +1,477,166 +577,660
Natural population change rank 10/196 34/196
Natural population change rate +3.04% +2.79%
Population growth +2.79% +2.85%
Population growth rank 23/197 22/197
Life expectancy 68.7 years 66.7 years

Fertility rate in Uganda vs Zambia chart

According to the latest available data on birth rates, the fertility rate in Uganda was 4.28 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 Uganda vs Zambia population clock for a dynamic visualization of the changing population.

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

Uganda
Factual

UN forecast
Zambia
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
Uganda Zambia
1960 6.91 6.95
1961 6.93 6.98
1962 6.96 7.01
1963 6.98 7.06
1964 7.01 7.09
1965 7.04 7.12
1966 7.07 7.14
1967 7.1 7.15
1968 7.13 7.18
1969 7.12 7.18
1970 7.15 7.22
1971 7.18 7.26
1972 7.19 7.3
1973 7.19 7.34
1974 7.19 7.36
1975 7.2 7.42
1976 7.19 7.39
1977 7.18 7.35
1978 7.16 7.29
1979 7.14 7.22
1980 7.11 7.14
1981 7.12 7.07
1982 7.11 7.04
1983 7.07 7.01
1984 7.02 6.97
1985 7.04 6.93
1986 7.08 6.87
1987 7.12 6.8
1988 7.1 6.7
1989 7.05 6.64
1990 7.01 6.57
1991 6.94 6.46
1992 6.91 6.35
1993 6.89 6.3
1994 6.9 6.26
1995 6.87 6.23
1996 6.84 6.18
1997 6.86 6.12
1998 6.84 6.07
1999 6.83 6
2000 6.79 5.92
2001 6.76 5.85
2002 6.74 5.77
2003 6.67 5.71
2004 6.61 5.7
2005 6.53 5.7
2006 6.43 5.68
2007 6.33 5.61
2008 6.2 5.53
2009 6.12 5.45
2010 6.02 5.36
2011 5.89 5.26
2012 5.73 5.14
2013 5.56 5.01
2014 5.41 4.89
2015 5.25 4.78
2016 5.11 4.67
2017 4.99 4.57
2018 4.87 4.49
2019 4.74 4.42
2020 4.62 4.32
2021 4.51 4.25
2022 4.39 4.18
2023 4.28 4.1
2024 4.16 4.04
2025 4.06 3.97
2026 3.97 3.91
2027 3.87 3.85
2028 3.79 3.77
2029 3.69 3.72
2030 3.61 3.67
2031 3.53 3.61
2032 3.45 3.56
2033 3.38 3.5
2034 3.31 3.45
2035 3.25 3.4
2036 3.19 3.35
2037 3.14 3.3
2038 3.09 3.25
2039 3.04 3.19
2040 2.99 3.15
2041 2.94 3.11
2042 2.9 3.07
2043 2.86 3.03
2044 2.82 3
2045 2.78 2.96
2046 2.74 2.93
2047 2.71 2.9
2048 2.67 2.87
2049 2.64 2.84
2050 2.61 2.81

Children 0-14 years as share of population

Uganda
Factual

UN forecast
Zambia
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
Uganda Zambia
1960 46.3% 46%
1961 46.6% 46.2%
1962 46.8% 46.3%
1963 46.9% 46.5%
1964 46.8% 46.7%
1965 46.7% 46.9%
1966 46.6% 46.9%
1967 46.6% 47%
1968 46.5% 47.1%
1969 46.5% 47.2%
1970 46.5% 47.4%
1971 46.7% 47.7%
1972 46.9% 48%
1973 47.1% 48.3%
1974 47.3% 48.6%
1975 47.4% 48.8%
1976 47.5% 49.1%
1977 47.5% 49.2%
1978 47.6% 49.4%
1979 47.7% 49.5%
1980 47.9% 49.5%
1981 48% 49.4%
1982 48% 49.3%
1983 48.1% 49.1%
1984 48% 49%
1985 48% 48.9%
1986 48% 48.8%
1987 48% 48.7%
1988 48.1% 48.6%
1989 48.1% 48.5%
1990 48.2% 48.4%
1991 48.3% 48.3%
1992 48.4% 48.2%
1993 48.5% 48.2%
1994 48.6% 48.2%
1995 49.1% 48.2%
1996 49.4% 48.2%
1997 49.7% 48.2%
1998 49.9% 48.2%
1999 50% 48.1%
2000 50.1% 48%
2001 50.1% 47.8%
2002 50.1% 47.6%
2003 50.1% 47.4%
2004 50.1% 47.3%
2005 50.1% 47.1%
2006 50% 47%
2007 50% 46.8%
2008 49.8% 46.6%
2009 49.7% 46.4%
2010 49.5% 46.3%
2011 49.3% 46.1%
2012 49.1% 45.9%
2013 48.8% 45.7%
2014 48.5% 45.5%
2015 48.1% 45.2%
2016 47.5% 44.9%
2017 46.9% 44.5%
2018 46.3% 44.1%
2019 45.8% 43.8%
2020 45.2% 43.3%
2021 44.7% 42.9%
2022 44.3% 42.4%
2023 43.9% 42%
2024 43.5% 41.5%
2025 43.1% 41%
2026 42.7% 40.5%
2027 42.2% 40%
2028 41.8% 39.6%
2029 41.3% 39.2%
2030 40.9% 38.8%
2031 40.5% 38.5%
2032 40% 38.1%
2033 39.5% 37.8%
2034 39% 37.5%
2035 38.4% 37.1%
2036 37.8% 36.8%
2037 37.3% 36.5%
2038 36.7% 36.1%
2039 36.1% 35.8%
2040 35.6% 35.4%
2041 35.1% 35.1%
2042 34.6% 34.7%
2043 34.1% 34.4%
2044 33.6% 34%
2045 33.1% 33.7%
2046 32.7% 33.3%
2047 32.3% 33%
2048 31.8% 32.6%
2049 31.5% 32.3%
2050 31.1% 32%

Children aged 0-14 make up 43.5% of the population in Uganda and 41.5% in Zambia in 2024, compared to 48.2% and 48.4% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of Uganda and Zambia compared.

Natural population change in Uganda vs Zambia by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +3.17% in Uganda and +2.87% in Zambia. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

Uganda
Zambia

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
Uganda Zambia
1960 225,080 102,335
1961 232,894 106,318
1962 241,513 110,173
1963 250,885 114,555
1964 260,733 117,197
1965 271,830 122,814
1966 282,225 127,164
1967 296,692 131,938
1968 309,725 137,315
1969 320,486 142,660
1970 333,202 149,380
1971 328,294 155,249
1972 335,935 161,648
1973 340,780 168,258
1974 345,773 174,484
1975 354,278 182,258
1976 359,458 186,762
1977 365,216 191,557
1978 371,930 194,933
1979 381,626 197,578
1980 370,287 198,817
1981 380,028 202,822
1982 390,820 207,621
1983 404,940 212,712
1984 421,241 216,695
1985 462,534 221,351
1986 487,693 224,768
1987 527,397 227,813
1988 547,759 230,118
1989 565,367 233,429
1990 587,291 235,835
1991 602,740 237,957
1992 627,139 239,953
1993 650,032 245,917
1994 675,092 252,023
1995 697,218 257,897
1996 699,707 262,468
1997 727,523 268,198
1998 741,175 275,568
1999 775,166 283,297
2000 803,069 293,186
2001 836,751 302,682
2002 868,756 316,041
2003 901,374 331,189
2004 938,623 349,352
2005 969,096 368,756
2006 999,958 387,891
2007 1,029,893 403,729
2008 1,055,935 419,560
2009 1,090,600 434,458
2010 1,121,564 448,337
2011 1,147,263 459,743
2012 1,167,473 469,406
2013 1,184,250 476,846
2014 1,201,599 483,663
2015 1,224,839 491,021
2016 1,249,565 497,521
2017 1,290,658 504,630
2018 1,332,600 515,644
2019 1,367,044 528,089
2020 1,397,288 536,484
2021 1,423,377 535,629
2022 1,455,576 563,456
2023 1,477,166 577,660

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: Uganda vs Zambia

The maternal mortality rate, which is the probability of dying during childbirth or within 42 days of pregnancy termination, is 170 deaths per 100,000 live births in Uganda, compared to 85 deaths in Zambia.

Uganda
Zambia
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
Uganda Zambia
1985 842 596
1986 781 619
1987 709 630
1988 655 635
1989 609 635
1990 575 625
1991 549 611
1992 530 581
1993 515 532
1994 507 507
1995 514 466
1996 513 433
1997 522 403
1998 523 392
1999 504 378
2000 475 340
2001 440 306
2002 416 274
2003 395 250
2004 384 260
2005 417 264
2006 409 262
2007 345 324
2008 324 394
2009 322 406
2010 304 332
2011 295 291
2012 285 256
2013 308 213
2014 311 174
2015 299 154
2016 272 158
2017 246 141
2018 232 117
2019 219 103
2020 209 99
2021 216 140
2022 184 89
2023 170 85

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 3.88% in Uganda and 4.47% in Zambia. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

Uganda
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
Uganda Zambia
1960 22.3% 20.5%
1961 21.9% 20.1%
1962 21.6% 19.8%
1963 21.3% 19.5%
1964 20.9% 19.2%
1965 20.6% 19%
1966 20.3% 18.9%
1967 19.9% 18.7%
1968 19.7% 18.5%
1969 19.4% 18.3%
1970 19.3% 17.9%
1971 19.3% 17.4%
1972 19.4% 16.9%
1973 19.6% 16.3%
1974 19.9% 15.9%
1975 20.3% 15.5%
1976 20.7% 15.4%
1977 21.2% 15.3%
1978 21.6% 15.3%
1979 21.8% 15.4%
1980 22% 15.5%
1981 21.9% 15.6%
1982 21.4% 15.7%
1983 20.9% 15.9%
1984 20.3% 16.2%
1985 19.9% 16.6%
1986 19.5% 17%
1987 19.2% 17.3%
1988 18.9% 17.7%
1989 18.7% 17.9%
1990 18.3% 18.1%
1991 17.9% 18.1%
1992 17.4% 18.1%
1993 17% 17.9%
1994 16.7% 17.7%
1995 16.5% 17.3%
1996 16.2% 17%
1997 16% 16.7%
1998 15.6% 16.3%
1999 15.2% 15.9%
2000 14.6% 15.3%
2001 13.9% 14.4%
2002 13.1% 13.4%
2003 12.3% 12.4%
2004 11.5% 11.4%
2005 10.7% 10.5%
2006 9.97% 9.71%
2007 9.3% 9.14%
2008 8.69% 8.62%
2009 8.14% 8%
2010 7.61% 7.57%
2011 7.1% 7.31%
2012 6.67% 7.04%
2013 6.24% 6.72%
2014 5.91% 6.38%
2015 5.58% 6.15%
2016 5.25% 5.9%
2017 4.98% 5.61%
2018 4.74% 5.52%
2019 4.53% 5.41%
2020 4.35% 5.24%
2021 4.18% 4.92%
2022 4.05% 4.67%
2023 3.88% 4.47%

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs Uganda vs Zambia
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