South Asia: Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, South Asia's birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) fell 0.2 on 2023 (from 16.57 to 16.37).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was −0.47 and a typical year strayed about 0.21 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly fall was 0.87 in 2014. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.32 a year. A straight line explains 97% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

What this measures

Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.

Limitations: Vital registers are the preferred source for these data, but in many developing countries systems for registering births and deaths are absent or incomplete because of deficiencies in the coverage of events or geographic areas. Many developing countries carry out special household surveys that ask respondents about recent births and deaths. Estimates derived in this way are subject to sampling errors and recall errors.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 65 values

Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 35.01 (2024)
• Algeria — 18.84 (2024)
• Bahrain — 12.03 (2024)
• Djibouti — 20.93 (2024)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 20.92 (2024)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 12.57 (2024)
• Iraq — 25.58 (2024)
• Israel — 18.6 (2024)
• Jordan — 20.45 (2024)
• Kuwait — 10.02 (2024)
• Lebanon — 15.96 (2024)

More health data for South Asia

• Population ages 00-04, female (% of female population) — 7.86% (2025)
• Population ages 00-04, male (% of male population) — 8.01% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female — 199.83 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female (% of female population) — 24.2% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male — 216.21 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male (% of male population) — 24.95% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, total — 416.05 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) — 24.59% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, female (% of female population) — 8.03% (2025)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is South Asia's birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people)?

16.37 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1960?

It is down 62.32% from 43.44 in 1960 (1.51% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 43.44 in 1960 and the lowest 16.37 in 2024.

Is the latest change in birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) unusual for South Asia?

In 2024, South Asia's birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) fell 0.2 on 2023 (from 16.57 to 16.37). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was −0.47 and a typical year strayed about 0.21 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Where does this data come from?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SP.DYN.CBRT.IN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division; Statistical databases and publications from national statistical offices, National Statistical Offices (NSOs); Demographic Statistics, Eurostat (ESTAT); Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), United… Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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