Total fertility rate

Definition

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

Analogy

Think of the total fertility rate as a scorecard for how many babies each woman is having in a particular country. Just like a sports team's scorecard shows how many points they've scored, the total fertility rate shows how many babies are being born.

Related terms

Replacement level fertility: Replacement level fertility is the total fertility rate needed for a population to replace itself without any increase or decrease. It is typically slightly above two children per woman.

Birth rate: The birth rate represents the number of live births per 1,000 people in a population within a specific time period.

Demographic transition: The demographic transition refers to the process of change in population from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates as countries develop economically and socially.