The country generally reported as having the lowest birth rate (births per 1,000 people) in the most recent global comparisons is Vatican City, followed by places like Hong Kong and South Korea.

Quick Scoop

  • Recent global estimates rank Vatican City as having the lowest birth rate, at around 4–5 births per 1,000 people per year.
  • Other very low-birth-rate places include Hong Kong, South Korea, Ukraine, San Marino, and Japan , all with well under 7 births per 1,000 people.
  • Many East Asian and Southern European societies are in the group with persistently low fertility and aging populations , which is now a major policy concern.

Birth rate vs. fertility rate

  • “Birth rate” usually means annual births per 1,000 people , while “total fertility rate” is the average number of children a woman is expected to have.
  • Some of the world’s lowest fertility rates are found in Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong, where women are having close to or even below one child on average.

Why these places are so low

  • Common drivers include high living costs, intense work cultures, expensive housing, and late marriage, especially in places like South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
  • Governments are trying cash bonuses, childcare subsidies, and housing perks, but demographic shifts are slow, and many young adults remain reluctant to have children in current economic conditions.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.