South Africa
19502100
2025
Fertility rate
2.19 children/woman
Birth rate
18.2 per 1,000 people
Total births
1.2M
Mean age at birth
28.3 years
Average number of children per woman over her lifetime
2.19 children per woman
Above replacement level (2.1)
Total births and teen pregnancy trends
TFR, net reproduction rate, and crude birth rate
Average age of mothers at childbirth
Boys per 100 girls at birth
South Africa's fertility rate has fallen dramatically from 6.1 children per woman in 1958 to 2.19 today—still above the 2.1 replacement level. This decline is projected to continue, dropping below replacement to 1.74 by 2100. Teen pregnancy remains notable, with 12% of births to mothers aged 15-19.