Countries by birth rateIn
demography, the crude birth rate of a population
is the number of
childbirths per 1000 persons per year. It can be
mathematically represented by
where n is the number of childbirths in that year, and p is
the current population. This figure is combined with the
crude death rate to produce the rate of population expansion.
Birth rate is also sometimes used to refer to the projected average number of children born to each woman over the course of her life. This is more correctly referred to as the total fertility rate.
Birth rates tend to be higher in less economically developed countries and lower in more economically developed countries.
Other methods of measuring birth rate
General fertility rate (GFR) - This measures the number of births per 1000 women aged 15 to 45
Standardised birth rate (SBR) - This compares the age-sex structure to a hypothetical standard population. This measure is usually lower than the crude birth rate
Factors affecting birth rate
- Pro-natalist policies and Anti-natalist policies from government
- Existing age-sex structure
- Social and religious beliefs - especially relation to contraception
- Female literacy levels
- Economic prosperity (although in theory when the economy is doing well families can afford to have more children in practice the higher the economic prosperity the lower the birth rate).
- Poverty levels – children can be seen as an economic resource in developing countries as they can earn money.
- Infant Mortality Rate – a family may have more children if a country's IMR is high as it is likely some of those children will die.