Fertility rate: births per woman in India
India: Fertility rate: births per woman was 1.98 live births per woman in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1.98 live births per woman
Change on year
down 1.0%
World rank
117th
of 236 countries
All-time high
5.98 live births per woman
in 1964
All-time low
1.98 live births per woman
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Fertility rate: births per woman in India, 1950–2023
Source: Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in live births per woman.
Analysis
India recorded 1.98 live births per woman for fertility rate: births per woman in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.0% on the previous year and down 17.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate: births per woman in India peaked at 5.98 live births per woman in 1964 and was at its lowest, 1.98 live births per woman, in 2023.
That places India 117th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Fertility rate: births per woman in India, year by year
| Year | live births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 5.73 live births per woman | — |
| 1951 | 5.77 live births per woman | +0.7% |
| 1952 | 5.82 live births per woman | +0.8% |
| 1953 | 5.87 live births per woman | +0.8% |
| 1954 | 5.91 live births per woman | +0.7% |
| 1955 | 5.91 live births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1956 | 5.91 live births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 5.91 live births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 5.9 live births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1959 | 5.89 live births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1960 | 5.92 live births per woman | +0.5% |
| 1961 | 5.94 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1962 | 5.95 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1963 | 5.97 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1964 | 5.98 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 5.94 live births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1966 | 5.88 live births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1967 | 5.83 live births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1968 | 5.76 live births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1969 | 5.68 live births per woman | -1.3% |
| 1970 | 5.62 live births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1971 | 5.57 live births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1972 | 5.48 live births per woman | -1.5% |
| 1973 | 5.4 live births per woman | -1.5% |
| 1974 | 5.33 live births per woman | -1.4% |
| 1975 | 5.2 live births per woman | -2.4% |
| 1976 | 5.13 live births per woman | -1.3% |
| 1977 | 5.01 live births per woman | -2.4% |
| 1978 | 4.89 live births per woman | -2.4% |
| 1979 | 4.81 live births per woman | -1.6% |
| 1980 | 4.78 live births per woman | -0.7% |
| 1981 | 4.7 live births per woman | -1.6% |
| 1982 | 4.62 live births per woman | -1.7% |
| 1983 | 4.57 live births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1984 | 4.52 live births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1985 | 4.43 live births per woman | -1.9% |
| 1986 | 4.4 live births per woman | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 4.31 live births per woman | -2.0% |
| 1988 | 4.22 live births per woman | -2.1% |
| 1989 | 4.13 live births per woman | -2.1% |
| 1990 | 4.04 live births per woman | -2.1% |
| 1991 | 3.96 live births per woman | -2.1% |
| 1992 | 3.88 live births per woman | -2.1% |
| 1993 | 3.8 live births per woman | -2.0% |
| 1994 | 3.72 live births per woman | -2.0% |
| 1995 | 3.65 live births per woman | -1.9% |
| 1996 | 3.58 live births per woman | -1.9% |
| 1997 | 3.51 live births per woman | -1.9% |
| 1998 | 3.45 live births per woman | -1.9% |
| 1999 | 3.38 live births per woman | -1.8% |
| 2000 | 3.35 live births per woman | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 3.3 live births per woman | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 3.22 live births per woman | -2.6% |
| 2003 | 3.12 live births per woman | -3.0% |
| 2004 | 3.05 live births per woman | -2.4% |
| 2005 | 2.96 live births per woman | -2.9% |
| 2006 | 2.87 live births per woman | -3.1% |
| 2007 | 2.77 live births per woman | -3.2% |
| 2008 | 2.71 live births per woman | -2.3% |
| 2009 | 2.67 live births per woman | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 2.6 live births per woman | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 2.53 live births per woman | -2.5% |
| 2012 | 2.47 live births per woman | -2.4% |
| 2013 | 2.4 live births per woman | -2.9% |
| 2014 | 2.29 live births per woman | -4.4% |
| 2015 | 2.29 live births per woman | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 2.28 live births per woman | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 2.19 live births per woman | -4.0% |
| 2018 | 2.18 live births per woman | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 2.12 live births per woman | -2.9% |
| 2020 | 2.05 live births per woman | -3.4% |
| 2021 | 2.01 live births per woman | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 1.99 live births per woman | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 1.98 live births per woman | -1.0% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 1.98 live births per woman is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.15 live births per woman, 63% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- India's 1.98 live births per woman is above the median for South Asia, which is 1.97 live births per woman, 1.0× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 5.86 live births per woman | 5.73 live births per woman | 5.91 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1960s | 5.88 live births per woman | 5.68 live births per woman | 5.98 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 5.24 live births per woman | 4.81 live births per woman | 5.62 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.47 live births per woman | 4.13 live births per woman | 4.78 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.7 live births per woman | 3.38 live births per woman | 4.04 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 3 live births per woman | 2.67 live births per woman | 3.35 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.34 live births per woman | 2.12 live births per woman | 2.6 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.01 live births per woman | 1.98 live births per woman | 2.05 live births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near India
More reference data data for India
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 20.88 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 68.88 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 246.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 15.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 246.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 70.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 19.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 309.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1,063 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 85.03 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate: births per woman in India?
- Fertility rate: births per woman in India was 1.98 live births per woman in 2023, according to Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertility rate: births per woman recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 5.98 live births per woman in 1964.
- What is the lowest fertility rate: births per woman recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.98 live births per woman in 2023.
- How does India rank for fertility rate: births per woman?
- India ranks 117th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate: births per woman rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility rate: births per woman. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Average number of live births a hypothetical cohort of women would have at the end of their reproductive period if they were subject during their whole lives to the fertility rates of a given period and if they were not subject to mortality.