Top 100 Countries by Birth Rate, 2026 Snapshot
How to read the 2026 birth-rate snapshot
This ranking compares countries and economies by crude birth rate, measured as live births per 1,000 people. Higher rates rank higher, so the list starts with the places where births are most frequent relative to total population.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The numeric table uses WDI 2023 values for indicator SP.DYN.CBRT.IN. The World Bank indicator page and World Development Indicators documentation are used to verify the metric definition, unit, source lineage and coverage context.
The World Bank indicator page now shows values through 2024, but this article keeps the verified 2023 Top 100 table to avoid mixing years or replacing only part of the ranking. Read it as a 2026 reference snapshot based on WDI 2023 values, not as a forecast or a latest-2024 table.
Central African Republic leads the table by live births per 1,000 people.
Peru is the 100th ranked entry among the highest crude birth rates in this table.
Countries and economies are included; regional aggregates and world totals are excluded.
Values use WDI 2023 crude birth rates and are displayed to two decimals.
The table reports published WDI values and does not add 2026 estimates.
Overview: what the crude birth rate ranking measures
Crude birth rate counts live births during a year relative to the midyear population. It is a population-wide rate, not a count of babies born. A smaller economy can therefore rank above a larger country if births are more frequent relative to its population size.
The upper end of the table is concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa, while Afghanistan and Yemen are the highest-ranked entries outside that region. This is expected for crude birth rate because the denominator is the entire population: a younger age structure usually produces more births per 1,000 people than an older age structure.
The ranking does not measure total fertility rate, infant survival, maternal health, population growth after migration, birth registration quality or the absolute number of births. It should be read as one demographic rate, not as a complete health, family policy or development index.
Top 10 countries and economies with the highest crude birth rate
The first ten entries show the high end of the distribution. Six countries are above 40 live births per 1,000 people, and every Top 10 entry is above 35 per 1,000 in the WDI 2023 row table.
Top 10 by crude birth rate, births per 1,000 people
| Rank | Entity | Rate | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central African Republic | 46.36 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 2 | Somalia | 42.96 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 3 | Chad | 42.40 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 4 | Niger | 41.89 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 5 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 41.30 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 6 | Mali | 40.03 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 7 | Angola | 37.59 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 8 | Mozambique | 37.49 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 9 | Afghanistan | 35.44 | South Asia; WDI 2023. |
| 10 | Tanzania | 35.22 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
Ranking is descending. Values are live births per 1,000 people and are shown to two decimal places.
Chart: Top 20 birth-rate countries and economies
The horizontal bar chart uses the same rates as the table. It makes the steep top of the ranking easier to scan: the leader is above 46 births per 1,000 people, while the 20th entry is just under 33.
Methodology
The metric is crude birth rate, World Bank WDI indicator SP.DYN.CBRT.IN. The unit is live births per 1,000 people. Direction is descending: a higher rate receives a higher rank. The table uses 2023 values because that is the verified complete Top 100 used for this article.
Metric and unit
Metric: crude birth rate. Unit: live births per 1,000 people. Display: values rounded to two decimal places.
Source hierarchy
Numeric values come from a public WDI 2023 Top 100 table. World Bank Data verifies the indicator definition, source lineage, license and year coverage.
Coverage and exclusions
The table includes 100 countries and economies. Regional aggregates, income groups and world totals are excluded, and entries such as territories or special economies are kept under the World Bank reporting universe.
Ranking and rounding
Ranks are ordered by the underlying numeric value before display rounding. If two displayed rates look equal after rounding, the original ranking order is retained rather than averaging entries.
Display rule: rates are shown to two decimal places. Ranking is based on the underlying numeric value, not on a separate average, total or 2026 estimate.
Data consistency rule: values are not averaged across sources. The 100 numeric entries use one WDI 2023 ranking basis, while World Bank pages verify the indicator definition and source context.
Limits: crude birth rate does not measure total fertility rate, age-specific fertility, intended family size, infant mortality, maternal care, birth registration quality, migration balance or the absolute number of births. Countries and economies with younger age structures can rank high even when fertility is declining.
Full ranking: Top 100 countries and economies by crude birth rate
Use the controls to search by country or economy, filter by region, change sort order, or switch between Top 10, Top 20 and all 100 entries.
Top 100 countries and economies by crude birth rate, births per 1,000 people
| Rank | Entity | Rate | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central African Republic | 46.36 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 2 | Somalia | 42.96 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 3 | Chad | 42.40 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 4 | Niger | 41.89 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 5 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 41.30 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 6 | Mali | 40.03 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 7 | Angola | 37.59 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 8 | Mozambique | 37.49 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 9 | Afghanistan | 35.44 | South Asia; WDI 2023. |
| 10 | Tanzania | 35.22 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 11 | Yemen, Rep. | 35.21 | Middle East & North Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 12 | Uganda | 35.20 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 13 | Mauritania | 34.42 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 14 | Benin | 33.88 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 15 | Guinea | 33.85 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 16 | Cameroon | 33.74 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 17 | Burundi | 33.67 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 18 | Sudan | 33.61 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 19 | Zambia | 33.08 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 20 | Nigeria | 32.95 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 21 | Madagascar | 32.09 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 22 | Cote d'Ivoire | 31.99 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 23 | Ethiopia | 31.90 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 24 | Burkina Faso | 31.64 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 25 | Malawi | 31.38 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 26 | Togo | 31.14 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 27 | Liberia | 30.96 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 28 | Congo, Rep. | 30.63 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 29 | Sierra Leone | 30.60 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 30 | Gambia, The | 30.43 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 31 | Zimbabwe | 30.41 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 32 | Guinea-Bissau | 30.04 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 33 | Equatorial Guinea | 29.60 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 34 | Senegal | 29.42 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 35 | Comoros | 28.65 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 36 | South Sudan | 28.59 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 37 | Eritrea | 28.54 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 38 | Rwanda | 28.35 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 39 | Sao Tome and Principe | 28.18 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 40 | Vanuatu | 28.05 | East Asia & Pacific; WDI 2023. |
| 41 | Pakistan | 27.81 | South Asia; WDI 2023. |
| 42 | Gabon | 27.67 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 43 | Kenya | 27.11 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 44 | West Bank and Gaza | 27.06 | Middle East & North Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 45 | Solomon Islands | 26.93 | East Asia & Pacific; WDI 2023. |
| 46 | Uzbekistan | 26.46 | Europe & Central Asia; WDI 2023. |
| 47 | Ghana | 26.31 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 48 | Tajikistan | 26.12 | Europe & Central Asia; WDI 2023. |
| 49 | Namibia | 25.89 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 50 | Kiribati | 25.81 | East Asia & Pacific; WDI 2023. |
| 51 | Iraq | 25.73 | Middle East & North Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 52 | Nauru | 25.50 | East Asia & Pacific; WDI 2023. |
| 53 | Samoa | 25.40 | East Asia & Pacific; WDI 2023. |
| 54 | Botswana | 24.71 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 55 | Papua New Guinea | 24.58 | East Asia & Pacific; WDI 2023. |
| 56 | Lesotho | 24.11 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 57 | Eswatini | 24.07 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 58 | Tonga | 23.12 | East Asia & Pacific; WDI 2023. |
| 59 | Tuvalu | 23.07 | East Asia & Pacific; WDI 2023. |
| 60 | Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | 22.30 | East Asia & Pacific; WDI 2023. |
| 61 | Haiti | 22.20 | Latin America & Caribbean; WDI 2023. |
| 62 | Syrian Arab Republic | 22.11 | Middle East & North Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 63 | Timor-Leste | 22.08 | East Asia & Pacific; WDI 2023. |
| 64 | Honduras | 21.96 | Latin America & Caribbean; WDI 2023. |
| 65 | Turkmenistan | 21.74 | Europe & Central Asia; WDI 2023. |
| 66 | Lao PDR | 21.27 | East Asia & Pacific; WDI 2023. |
| 67 | Bolivia | 21.25 | Latin America & Caribbean; WDI 2023. |
| 68 | Marshall Islands | 21.14 | East Asia & Pacific; WDI 2023. |
| 69 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 21.00 | Middle East & North Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 70 | Guatemala | 20.81 | Latin America & Caribbean; WDI 2023. |
| 71 | Djibouti | 20.77 | Middle East & North Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 72 | Cambodia | 20.75 | East Asia & Pacific; WDI 2023. |
| 73 | Jordan | 20.61 | Middle East & North Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 74 | Kyrgyz Republic | 20.60 | Europe & Central Asia; WDI 2023. |
| 75 | Bangladesh | 20.35 | South Asia; WDI 2023. |
| 76 | Guyana | 20.29 | Latin America & Caribbean; WDI 2023. |
| 77 | Kazakhstan | 20.14 | Europe & Central Asia; WDI 2023. |
| 78 | Paraguay | 19.98 | Latin America & Caribbean; WDI 2023. |
| 79 | Algeria | 19.63 | Middle East & North Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 80 | Nicaragua | 19.38 | Latin America & Caribbean; WDI 2023. |
| 81 | Nepal | 19.34 | South Asia; WDI 2023. |
| 82 | Mongolia | 19.00 | East Asia & Pacific; WDI 2023. |
| 83 | South Africa | 18.77 | Sub-Saharan Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 84 | Israel | 18.60 | Middle East & North Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 85 | Belize | 18.02 | Latin America & Caribbean; WDI 2023. |
| 86 | Fiji | 18.00 | East Asia & Pacific; WDI 2023. |
| 87 | Dominican Republic | 17.93 | Latin America & Caribbean; WDI 2023. |
| 88 | Guam | 17.66 | East Asia & Pacific; WDI 2023. |
| 89 | Suriname | 17.30 | Latin America & Caribbean; WDI 2023. |
| 90 | St. Martin (French part) | 17.07 | Latin America & Caribbean; WDI 2023. |
| 91 | Libya | 17.02 | Middle East & North Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 92 | Oman | 16.85 | Middle East & North Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 93 | Morocco | 16.70 | Middle East & North Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 94 | Myanmar | 16.70 | East Asia & Pacific; WDI 2023. |
| 95 | Saudi Arabia | 16.41 | Middle East & North Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 96 | India | 16.15 | South Asia; WDI 2023. |
| 97 | Lebanon | 16.14 | Middle East & North Africa; WDI 2023. |
| 98 | Panama | 16.03 | Latin America & Caribbean; WDI 2023. |
| 99 | Philippines | 16.02 | East Asia & Pacific; WDI 2023. |
| 100 | Peru | 15.94 | Latin America & Caribbean; WDI 2023. |
Table note: all rows use WDI 2023 values. Region labels support filtering and reading; they are not separate ranking criteria.
Insights from the Top 100 birth-rate ranking
Key insight
The top is very high: 6 countries are above 40 live births per 1,000 people, and 32 entries are above 30 per 1,000.
Regional concentration
Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 45 of the 100 entries. The remaining entries are spread across East Asia & Pacific (18), Middle East & North Africa (14), Latin America & Caribbean (13), South Asia (5) and Europe & Central Asia (5).
Threshold pattern
77 of the 100 entries are above 20 births per 1,000 people. The gap between rank 1 and rank 100 is 30.42 births per 1,000 people.
Highest non-African entries
Afghanistan ranks 9th at 35.44, Yemen ranks 11th at 35.21, Vanuatu ranks 40th at 28.05, and Pakistan ranks 41st at 27.81.
What this ranking means for readers
A high crude birth rate means births are frequent relative to total population. It does not automatically mean a country has the highest total number of births, because absolute births depend on population size as well as the rate.
Use the ranking as a demographic comparison of birth intensity. It can help frame questions about school demand, pediatric health demand, child dependency and future labor-force growth, but it should be combined with fertility, mortality, migration and age-structure data before drawing policy conclusions.
Why countries and economies differ in crude birth rate
Crude birth rate differs because populations have different age structures, fertility patterns, urbanization levels, education profiles, migration flows and data-reporting conditions. A younger population usually produces more births per 1,000 total people than an older population. Conflict, displacement and registration quality can also affect how demographic rates should be interpreted, especially when comparing fragile states with high-income economies.
The table reports 2023 WDI values. It does not estimate 2026 rates, because a forecast would need a transparent base year, growth assumption and country-by-country method.
FAQ
Which country has the highest crude birth rate?
Central African Republic ranks first in this table, with 46.36 live births per 1,000 people in the WDI 2023 row table.
Are these actual 2026 birth-rate values?
No. This page is a 2026 reference snapshot based on WDI 2023 values. It does not calculate 2026 rates.
Why does the article use 2023 rows instead of 2024 rows?
The World Bank indicator page shows values through 2024. This article keeps the verified 2023 Top 100 table so the ranking does not mix years or partially update rows.
What does crude birth rate mean?
Crude birth rate is the number of live births during a year per 1,000 people in the midyear population.
Is crude birth rate the same as fertility rate?
No. Total fertility rate estimates the average number of children a woman would have under current fertility patterns. Crude birth rate uses total population as the denominator.
Why can a country with a smaller population rank high?
The ranking is based on a rate per 1,000 people, not the total number of births. A smaller country or economy can rank high if births are frequent relative to its total population.
Does the table include territories and special economies?
Yes. The source table covers countries and economies. The article avoids calling the list sovereign-state-only because entries such as Guam and St. Martin are included.
What does this metric not measure?
It does not measure infant mortality, maternal health, birth registration quality, total births, population growth after migration, family policy or income level.
Sources
Countriesby — Countries by Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people)
Numeric source for the WDI 2023 Top 100 values used in the ranking table.
https://countriesby.org/lists/countries-by-birth-rate-crude-per-1000-people/
World Bank Data — Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people)
Primary indicator page for SP.DYN.CBRT.IN, including unit, source lineage, license and year coverage.
World Bank World Development Indicators
Context source for WDI as the statistical environment used for comparable country and economy indicators.
https://datatopics.worldbank.org/world-development-indicators/
