Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty in Belgium
Belgium: Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty was 1.38 live births per woman in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1.38 live births per woman
Change on year
down 10.9%
World rank
196th
of 236 countries
All-time high
2.7 live births per woman
in 1964
All-time low
1.38 live births per woman
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty in Belgium, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in live births per woman.
Analysis
In 2023, fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty in Belgium stood at 1.38 live births per woman. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of down 10.9% on the previous year and down 21.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty in Belgium peaked at 2.7 live births per woman in 1964 and was at its lowest, 1.38 live births per woman, in 2023.
Belgium ranks 196th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty in Belgium, year by year
| Year | live births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2.35 live births per woman | — |
| 1951 | 2.29 live births per woman | -2.4% |
| 1952 | 2.33 live births per woman | +1.9% |
| 1953 | 2.33 live births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1954 | 2.36 live births per woman | +1.5% |
| 1955 | 2.38 live births per woman | +0.9% |
| 1956 | 2.41 live births per woman | +1.1% |
| 1957 | 2.45 live births per woman | +1.8% |
| 1958 | 2.5 live births per woman | +1.9% |
| 1959 | 2.56 live births per woman | +2.4% |
| 1960 | 2.53 live births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1961 | 2.62 live births per woman | +3.5% |
| 1962 | 2.6 live births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1963 | 2.68 live births per woman | +3.1% |
| 1964 | 2.7 live births per woman | +1.0% |
| 1965 | 2.61 live births per woman | -3.3% |
| 1966 | 2.52 live births per woman | -3.6% |
| 1967 | 2.41 live births per woman | -4.4% |
| 1968 | 2.31 live births per woman | -4.1% |
| 1969 | 2.28 live births per woman | -1.4% |
| 1970 | 2.25 live births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1971 | 2.21 live births per woman | -2.0% |
| 1972 | 2.09 live births per woman | -5.3% |
| 1973 | 1.95 live births per woman | -6.6% |
| 1974 | 1.84 live births per woman | -5.9% |
| 1975 | 1.75 live births per woman | -4.8% |
| 1976 | 1.74 live births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1977 | 1.73 live births per woman | -0.7% |
| 1978 | 1.71 live births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1979 | 1.71 live births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 1.69 live births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1981 | 1.67 live births per woman | -1.5% |
| 1982 | 1.61 live births per woman | -3.4% |
| 1983 | 1.56 live births per woman | -3.1% |
| 1984 | 1.53 live births per woman | -2.0% |
| 1985 | 1.5 live births per woman | -1.8% |
| 1986 | 1.54 live births per woman | +2.2% |
| 1987 | 1.54 live births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 1.57 live births per woman | +2.0% |
| 1989 | 1.58 live births per woman | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 1.62 live births per woman | +2.5% |
| 1991 | 1.66 live births per woman | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 1.65 live births per woman | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 1.61 live births per woman | -2.5% |
| 1994 | 1.56 live births per woman | -2.7% |
| 1995 | 1.56 live births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 1.59 live births per woman | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 1.6 live births per woman | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 1.59 live births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 1.61 live births per woman | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 1.66 live births per woman | +3.0% |
| 2001 | 1.67 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 1.65 live births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 1.67 live births per woman | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 1.72 live births per woman | +3.2% |
| 2005 | 1.75 live births per woman | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 1.79 live births per woman | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 1.81 live births per woman | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 1.85 live births per woman | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 1.83 live births per woman | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 1.85 live births per woman | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 1.8 live births per woman | -2.4% |
| 2012 | 1.78 live births per woman | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 1.75 live births per woman | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 1.73 live births per woman | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 1.69 live births per woman | -2.5% |
| 2016 | 1.68 live births per woman | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 1.64 live births per woman | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 1.62 live births per woman | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 1.61 live births per woman | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 1.57 live births per woman | -2.1% |
| 2021 | 1.6 live births per woman | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 1.55 live births per woman | -3.3% |
| 2023 | 1.38 live births per woman | -10.9% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 1.38 live births per woman is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.5 live births per woman, 92% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 1.38 live births per woman is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.49 live births per woman, 92% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.4 live births per woman | 2.29 live births per woman | 2.56 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.53 live births per woman | 2.28 live births per woman | 2.7 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.9 live births per woman | 1.71 live births per woman | 2.25 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.58 live births per woman | 1.5 live births per woman | 1.69 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.61 live births per woman | 1.56 live births per woman | 1.66 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.74 live births per woman | 1.65 live births per woman | 1.85 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.71 live births per woman | 1.61 live births per woman | 1.85 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.52 live births per woman | 1.38 live births per woman | 1.6 live births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More poverty & inequality data for Belgium
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 8 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 8,486 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate -1.37 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 42.58 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 42.6% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, annual growth rate 0.4793 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty in Belgium?
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty in Belgium was 1.38 live births per woman in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 2.7 live births per woman in 1964.
- What is the lowest fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.38 live births per woman in 2023.
- How does Belgium rank for fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty?
- Belgium ranks 196th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total fertility rate: the average number of children a woman would have if she experienced the year's age-specific birth rates throughout her childbearing years.