Ukraine enters top three countries with lowest birth rates in the world — World Bank data

Ukraine ranked third in the global ranking of countries with the lowest birth rates in 2024, according to a study by the World Bank Group.

This was reported by Business Insider.

The World Bank Group collected data on overall birth rates for 2024. Experts measured two indicators: the number of live births per 1,000 people per year and the total fertility rate, reflecting the average number of births per woman.

According to the study, Ukraine’s birth rate in 2024 stood at 5.5 births per 1,000 people. The total fertility rate in the country that same year was approximately 1 child per woman.

Second place among countries with the lowest birth rates went to South Korea — 4.7 births per 1,000 people. The country with the absolute lowest birth rate in 2024 was San Marino — 4.2 births per 1,000 people.

At the opposite end of the ranking were three African countries with the highest birth rates: the Central African Republic — 46.2 births per 1,000 people, Chad — 43.3 births per 1,000 people, and Somalia — 42.3 births per 1,000 people.

Previously, Opendatabot, citing data from the Ukrainian Ministry of Justice, reported that birth and death statistics in the country indicate a worsening situation year by year. In the first half of 2026, 73,292 children were born in Ukraine, while the number of recorded deaths stood at 259,853 — the first official increase in the number of deaths in the past five years.