Fertility rate: births per woman in Spain
Spain: Fertility rate: births per woman was 1.21 live births per woman in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1.21 live births per woman
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
214th
of 236 countries
All-time high
4.1 live births per woman
in 1922
All-time low
1.13 live births per woman
in 1998
Years of data
102
1922–2023
Fertility rate: births per woman in Spain, 1922–2023
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
The most recent figure for fertility rate: births per woman in Spain is 1.21 live births per woman, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and down 5.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate: births per woman in Spain peaked at 4.1 live births per woman in 1922 and was at its lowest, 1.13 live births per woman, in 1998.
Spain ranks 214th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 102 years of available data.
Fertility rate: births per woman in Spain, year by year
| Year | live births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1922 | 4.1 live births per woman | — |
| 1923 | 4.1 live births per woman | -0.0% |
| 1924 | 4 live births per woman | -2.2% |
| 1925 | 3.88 live births per woman | -3.0% |
| 1926 | 3.93 live births per woman | +1.2% |
| 1927 | 3.73 live births per woman | -5.1% |
| 1928 | 3.84 live births per woman | +3.0% |
| 1929 | 3.72 live births per woman | -3.3% |
| 1930 | 3.69 live births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1931 | 3.56 live births per woman | -3.5% |
| 1932 | 3.63 live births per woman | +1.7% |
| 1933 | 3.57 live births per woman | -1.5% |
| 1934 | 3.36 live births per woman | -5.8% |
| 1935 | 3.29 live births per woman | -2.3% |
| 1936 | 3.14 live births per woman | -4.4% |
| 1937 | 2.86 live births per woman | -9.0% |
| 1938 | 2.55 live births per woman | -10.8% |
| 1939 | 2.12 live births per woman | -16.9% |
| 1940 | 3.07 live births per woman | +44.8% |
| 1941 | 2.46 live births per woman | -20.0% |
| 1942 | 2.52 live births per woman | +2.7% |
| 1943 | 2.86 live births per woman | +13.5% |
| 1944 | 2.82 live births per woman | -1.4% |
| 1945 | 2.89 live births per woman | +2.4% |
| 1946 | 2.69 live births per woman | -7.0% |
| 1947 | 2.66 live births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1948 | 2.88 live births per woman | +8.0% |
| 1949 | 2.67 live births per woman | -7.3% |
| 1950 | 2.47 live births per woman | -7.3% |
| 1951 | 2.46 live births per woman | -0.5% |
| 1952 | 2.54 live births per woman | +3.3% |
| 1953 | 2.5 live births per woman | -1.5% |
| 1954 | 2.44 live births per woman | -2.5% |
| 1955 | 2.51 live births per woman | +2.8% |
| 1956 | 2.54 live births per woman | +1.3% |
| 1957 | 2.69 live births per woman | +5.8% |
| 1958 | 2.73 live births per woman | +1.5% |
| 1959 | 2.75 live births per woman | +1.0% |
| 1960 | 2.81 live births per woman | +2.0% |
| 1961 | 2.78 live births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1962 | 2.8 live births per woman | +0.9% |
| 1963 | 2.88 live births per woman | +2.6% |
| 1964 | 3 live births per woman | +4.2% |
| 1965 | 2.93 live births per woman | -2.4% |
| 1966 | 2.91 live births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1967 | 2.97 live births per woman | +2.0% |
| 1968 | 2.92 live births per woman | -1.6% |
| 1969 | 2.9 live births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1970 | 2.88 live births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1971 | 2.9 live births per woman | +0.5% |
| 1972 | 2.87 live births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1973 | 2.84 live births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1974 | 2.87 live births per woman | +1.1% |
| 1975 | 2.77 live births per woman | -3.4% |
| 1976 | 2.76 live births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1977 | 2.65 live births per woman | -4.0% |
| 1978 | 2.54 live births per woman | -4.3% |
| 1979 | 2.37 live births per woman | -6.7% |
| 1980 | 2.21 live births per woman | -6.6% |
| 1981 | 2.04 live births per woman | -7.8% |
| 1982 | 1.94 live births per woman | -5.1% |
| 1983 | 1.8 live births per woman | -7.1% |
| 1984 | 1.72 live births per woman | -4.3% |
| 1985 | 1.64 live births per woman | -4.9% |
| 1986 | 1.55 live births per woman | -5.1% |
| 1987 | 1.49 live births per woman | -4.0% |
| 1988 | 1.44 live births per woman | -3.2% |
| 1989 | 1.4 live births per woman | -3.3% |
| 1990 | 1.36 live births per woman | -2.7% |
| 1991 | 1.32 live births per woman | -2.4% |
| 1992 | 1.31 live births per woman | -1.4% |
| 1993 | 1.25 live births per woman | -4.1% |
| 1994 | 1.19 live births per woman | -5.0% |
| 1995 | 1.15 live births per woman | -3.1% |
| 1996 | 1.14 live births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 1.15 live births per woman | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 1.13 live births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 1.17 live births per woman | +3.0% |
| 2000 | 1.21 live births per woman | +3.9% |
| 2001 | 1.23 live births per woman | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 1.25 live births per woman | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 1.29 live births per woman | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 1.31 live births per woman | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 1.33 live births per woman | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 1.36 live births per woman | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 1.38 live births per woman | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 1.44 live births per woman | +4.1% |
| 2009 | 1.38 live births per woman | -3.8% |
| 2010 | 1.37 live births per woman | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 1.34 live births per woman | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 1.32 live births per woman | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 1.28 live births per woman | -3.1% |
| 2014 | 1.31 live births per woman | +3.0% |
| 2015 | 1.33 live births per woman | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 1.33 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 1.3 live births per woman | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 1.26 live births per woman | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 1.23 live births per woman | -2.4% |
| 2020 | 1.19 live births per woman | -3.6% |
| 2021 | 1.19 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 1.21 live births per woman | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 1.21 live births per woman | +0.7% |
Spain compared with similar countries
- Spain's 1.21 live births per woman is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.5 live births per woman, 81% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Spain's 1.21 live births per woman is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.49 live births per woman, 81% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fertility rate: births per woman in Spain changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | +44.8% | 2.12 live births per woman | 3.07 live births per woman |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 3.91 live births per woman | 3.72 live births per woman | 4.1 live births per woman | 8 |
| 1930s | 3.18 live births per woman | 2.12 live births per woman | 3.69 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1940s | 2.75 live births per woman | 2.46 live births per woman | 3.07 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1950s | 2.56 live births per woman | 2.44 live births per woman | 2.75 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.89 live births per woman | 2.78 live births per woman | 3 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.75 live births per woman | 2.37 live births per woman | 2.9 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.72 live births per woman | 1.4 live births per woman | 2.21 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.22 live births per woman | 1.13 live births per woman | 1.36 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.32 live births per woman | 1.21 live births per woman | 1.44 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.31 live births per woman | 1.23 live births per woman | 1.37 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.2 live births per woman | 1.19 live births per woman | 1.21 live births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near Spain
- 211 Finland 1.28 live births per woman compare
- 212 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 1.27 live births per woman compare
- 213 Mauritius 1.24 live births per woman compare
- 215 Thailand 1.21 live births per woman compare
- 216 Belarus 1.21 live births per woman compare
- 216 Japan 1.21 live births per woman compare
More reference data data for Spain
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.18 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 11.76 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.898 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 11.76 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 10.67 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 6.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 11.06 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 52.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.89 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate: births per woman in Spain?
- Fertility rate: births per woman in Spain was 1.21 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 Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 4.1 live births per woman in 1922.
- What is the lowest fertility rate: births per woman recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.13 live births per woman in 1998.
- How does Spain rank for fertility rate: births per woman?
- Spain ranks 214th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate: births per woman rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Spain 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.
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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.