Replacement fertility rate

Definition

The replacement fertility rate refers to the number of children per woman needed to maintain population stability, typically around 2.1.

Analogy

Think of the replacement fertility rate as a balancing act on a seesaw. If each woman has an average of 2.1 children, it keeps the population stable, just like having equal weight on both sides of the seesaw keeps it level.

Related terms

Total fertility rate: The total fertility rate is the average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime, given the current birth rates.

Population growth rate: The population growth rate measures how fast or slow a population is increasing or decreasing over time.

Demographic dividend: Demographic dividend refers to the economic benefit that can arise when a country's working-age population is larger than its dependent (non-working) population.