Highest Fertility Rates by Country and Area in 2025 and 2026: Top 50
Highest Fertility Rates in 2025 and 2026: Top 50 UN Projections
Chad has the highest projected total fertility rate in this 2026 ranking at 5.835 children per woman, followed by Somalia at 5.805 and the Democratic Republic of the Congo at 5.801. The table ranks the 50 highest country and area values for 2026 and shows the corresponding 2025 projection.
The numeric series is United Nations Population Division Data Portal indicator 19, Total fertility rate, sourced from World Population Prospects 2024, Variant: Median. Both 2025 and 2026 are projection years, not observed fertility outcomes.
Snapshot: September 2, 2026 · Unit: children per woman · Direction: higher ranks higher · Coverage: Top 50 countries and areas · Status: 50 official_forecast, 0 official_value, 0 calculated_value, 0 modeled_projection.
Highest projected TFR among the confirmed country and area entries.
World TFR is approximately 2.24 in 2025 and 2.23 in 2026 in the same Median series.
Ranking of the 50 highest projected TFR values for 2026.
The cutoff is the 50th-highest value, not the world's lowest fertility rate.
What total fertility rate measures
Total fertility rate (TFR) summarizes how many children a woman would have if she experienced the age-specific fertility rates of a particular year throughout her reproductive years. It is expressed as children per woman.
TFR is different from total births and the crude birth rate. A smaller population can have a high TFR while recording fewer births than a much larger population with lower fertility.
2025 and 2026 are projected values
The figures on this page are direct UN-published projections from World Population Prospects 2024 in the Data Portal Median variant. StatRanker does not extrapolate a 2026 value from earlier fertility data.
Top 10 highest fertility rates projected for 2026
Top 10 ranked by raw 2026 TFR, with the same UN series shown for 2025
| Rank | Country / area | 2026 TFR | 2025 TFR | Source / method note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chad | 5.835 | 5.938 | official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 2 | Somalia | 5.805 | 5.912 | official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 3 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 5.801 | 5.902 | official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 4 | Central African Republic | 5.687 | 5.809 | official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 5 | Niger | 5.644 | 5.786 | official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 6 | Mali | 5.326 | 5.421 | official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 7 | Angola | 4.889 | 4.953 | official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 8 | Burundi | 4.566 | 4.675 | official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 9 | Afghanistan | 4.562 | 4.659 | official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 10 | Mozambique | 4.542 | 4.620 | official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
Rank uses the unrounded 2026 value. Display values are rounded to three decimals after ranking.
Top 20 projected fertility rates in 2026
Methodology
Metric
Total fertility rate, measured in children per woman.
Official source
United Nations Population Division Data Portal, indicator 19, sourced from World Population Prospects 2024.
Variant
Median. The same Data Portal variant is used for 2025 and 2026.
Direction
Descending. A higher raw 2026 TFR receives a higher rank.
Coverage
Top 50 country and area entries. Regional and other aggregate rows are excluded.
Data status
50 official_forecast rows. There are no calculated or independently modeled values.
The extraction configuration is fixed as follows: indicator 19, Total fertility rate; source revision World Population Prospects 2024; years 2025 and 2026; both sexes; total age category; projection Variant: Median; country and area locations; snapshot checked September 2, 2026.
No page-level projection formula is used. Values are taken from the UN series and ranked using the unrounded 2026 number. Only the displayed values are rounded to three decimals.
Secondary fertility rankings are not used to replace or average UN values. Missing values are not imputed. The ranking also excludes regional aggregates so that an aggregate cannot occupy a country/area rank.
TFR does not directly measure total births, population growth, migration or completed family size. Population change also depends on mortality, migration, age structure and population momentum.
Top 50 fertility rates in 2026 with 2025 comparison
| Rank | Country / area | 2026 TFR | 2025 TFR | Source / method note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chad | 5.835 | 5.938 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 2 | Somalia | 5.805 | 5.912 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 3 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 5.801 | 5.902 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 4 | Central African Republic | 5.687 | 5.809 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 5 | Niger | 5.644 | 5.786 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 6 | Mali | 5.326 | 5.421 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 7 | Angola | 4.889 | 4.953 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 8 | Burundi | 4.566 | 4.675 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 9 | Afghanistan | 4.562 | 4.659 | Central & Southern Asia · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 10 | Mozambique | 4.542 | 4.620 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 11 | Mauritania | 4.485 | 4.560 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 12 | Mayotte | 4.431 | 4.497 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 13 | United Republic of Tanzania | 4.406 | 4.466 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 14 | Benin | 4.339 | 4.416 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 15 | Yemen | 4.327 | 4.413 | Northern Africa & Western Asia · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 16 | Nigeria | 4.205 | 4.297 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 17 | Sudan | 4.132 | 4.193 | Northern Africa & Western Asia · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 18 | Cameroon | 4.117 | 4.185 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 19 | Côte d'Ivoire | 4.104 | 4.166 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 20 | Togo | 4.009 | 4.067 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 21 | Congo | 3.988 | 4.048 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 22 | Uganda | 3.969 | 4.063 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 23 | Guinea | 3.958 | 4.041 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 24 | Equatorial Guinea | 3.955 | 4.037 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 25 | Burkina Faso | 3.915 | 4.005 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 26 | Zambia | 3.910 | 3.970 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 27 | Madagascar | 3.784 | 3.845 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 28 | Ethiopia | 3.723 | 3.806 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 29 | Liberia | 3.714 | 3.789 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 30 | Comoros | 3.706 | 3.763 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 31 | Samoa | 3.704 | 3.753 | Oceania · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 32 | Gambia | 3.701 | 3.804 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 33 | Senegal | 3.659 | 3.713 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 34 | South Sudan | 3.633 | 3.708 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 35 | Guinea-Bissau | 3.618 | 3.682 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 36 | Zimbabwe | 3.569 | 3.622 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 37 | Eritrea | 3.553 | 3.613 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 38 | Rwanda | 3.537 | 3.589 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 39 | Sierra Leone | 3.532 | 3.609 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 40 | Vanuatu | 3.498 | 3.532 | Oceania · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 41 | Gabon | 3.488 | 3.537 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 42 | Sao Tome and Principe | 3.470 | 3.526 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 43 | Malawi | 3.449 | 3.527 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 44 | Pakistan | 3.442 | 3.495 | Central & Southern Asia · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 45 | Solomon Islands | 3.419 | 3.465 | Oceania · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 46 | Uzbekistan | 3.404 | 3.449 | Central & Southern Asia · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 47 | Ghana | 3.257 | 3.300 | Sub-Saharan Africa · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 48 | French Guiana | 3.247 | 3.293 | Latin America & Caribbean · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 49 | Nauru | 3.205 | 3.248 | Oceania · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
| 50 | Iraq | 3.132 | 3.174 | Northern Africa & Western Asia · official_forecast · UN WPP 2024 · Median · targets 2025/2026. |
Source revision: World Population Prospects 2024. Target years: 2025 and 2026. Projection variant: Median. Snapshot checked September 2, 2026.
Key findings from the Top 50
Key Insight
Chad, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are separated by only about 0.034 child per woman in the 2026 projection.
Notable Pattern
All 50 entries shown have a lower 2026 projected TFR than their corresponding 2025 value in the same Median series.
Regional Concentration
Thirty-nine of the 50 entries in this table are grouped in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Highest Outside Sub-Saharan Africa
Afghanistan ranks #9 at 4.562 children per woman, the highest position outside Sub-Saharan Africa in this Top 50.
How to interpret the ranking
A higher rank means a higher projected period TFR in 2026. It does not mean that the country or area will record the largest number of births or the fastest population growth.
The 2025 column provides a comparison from the same source and projection variant. Differences between the two columns represent changes within the UN projection path rather than subsequently observed year-to-year outcomes.
Replacement-level fertility is often approximated at about 2.1 children per woman in low-mortality populations, but population change also depends on mortality, migration, age structure and demographic momentum.
FAQ
Which country has the highest projected fertility rate in 2026?
Chad ranks first at 5.835 children per woman, followed by Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Are the 2025 and 2026 figures observed fertility rates?
No. Both years are projection values published in the UN Population Division Data Portal from World Population Prospects 2024.
Are these values calculated by StatRanker?
No. StatRanker ranks the direct UN values and rounds them for display; it does not generate a separate fertility projection.
Which projection variant is used?
The ranking uses the Median variant displayed by the UN Population Division Data Portal for indicator 19, Total fertility rate.
What does total fertility rate mean?
TFR summarizes how many children a woman would have if she experienced the age-specific fertility rates of a particular year throughout her reproductive years.
Does high fertility mean the largest number of births?
No. Total births also depend heavily on population size and age structure.
Why does the ranking include areas as well as countries?
World Population Prospects publishes demographic series for countries and areas. This ranking keeps eligible country and area entries but excludes regional aggregates.
Sources
UN Population Division Data Portal
Primary numeric source. Extraction settings: indicator 19, Total fertility rate; 2025–2026; Variant: Median; both sexes; country and area locations. Snapshot checked September 2, 2026.
UN Data Portal API
Official machine-readable access documentation. Data endpoints support indicator, location, start year and end year parameters; authorization token is required for API data requests.
UN Data Portal User Guide
Documents table configuration, projection variants and exports. The guide states that the Median variant is displayed by default and that table data can be exported as CSV, XLS, XLSX or TXT.
Total Fertility Rate metadata
Official indicator metadata identifying the metric as Total fertility rate, source World Population Prospects, Revision 2024, United Nations Population Division, with series coverage through 2100.
https://population.un.org/dataportal/data/indicators/19/locations/900/start/2025/end/2026/metadata
World Population Prospects 2024
Official landing page for the 2024 Revision and its demographic estimates, projections, downloads and documentation.
World Population Prospects 2024 Methodology
Official methodological documentation covering fertility estimation, projections and uncertainty.
https://population.un.org/wpp/assets/Files/WPP2024_Methodology.pdf
