Global Mean Age of Childbearing

Historic Global Mean Age of Childbearing (1950-2024)

Between 1950 and 1995, the world experienced a fall in mean age of childbearing, thus women tended to bear children earlier in life, as the time moved on. Since 1995 and onward, the global mean age of childbearing has been on a rise again, increasing from 27.22 years to today's number of 28.32 year. If the trend continues, the global mean age of childbearing will soon be on par with numbers from the 1950's. However, the its important to understand that family dynamics are very different today when compared with that era. In the 1950 the global total fertility rate was 4.85 births per woman, while women of today, on average, only give birth to 2.3 children.

Future Global Mean Age of Childbearing (2024-2100)

From the year 2024 and onward the global mean age of childbearing is projected to increase. By the year 2100 it is projected to be 30.2 years of age. A mean age of childbearing that is 2.0 years higher than today's number.

Understanding the Concept and Importance of Mean Age of Childbearing

The mean age of childbearing refers to the average age at which women in a given population give birth to their children. This metric is crucial for understanding demographic trends and has significant implications for both individuals and their respective society.

A rising mean age of childbearing is in direct correlation with delayed childbirth, often due to changing societal norms, increased educational and career pursuits, a challenging economic climate, and access to contraception.

A good understanding of this metric aids policymakers in formulating effective family planning and healthcare strategies. Moreover, it serves as a key demographic indicator that influence population structure which can be used by both the public and private sector to understand workforce dynamics, and aid in social welfare planning.

What is Mean Age of Childbearing?

The mean age of childbearing refers to the average age at which women give birth to their first child or have children in general within a population. It's a demographic indicator that reflects the age distribution of mothers. Factors that influence mean age of childbearing include changes to societal norms, educational and career pursuits, economic conditions and even widespread waponized conflict.

• Mean age of childbearing is a demographic metric indicating the average age at which women in a population bear children, providing insights into reproductive patterns.
• Factors such as mortality rate, fertility rate, and migration can impact the mean age of childbearing, reflecting the dynamic nature of demographic trends.
• Increased life expectancy can contribute to a higher mean age of childbearing, reflecting delayed family planning trends.
• Declining birth rates are associated with an elevated mean age of childbearing, shaping the reproductive landscape.
• An aging population, characterized by a higher mean age of childbearing, may pose economic and social challenges.
• Variations in the mean age of childbearing across countries and regions can be significant, influenced by diverse cultural and economic factors.
• As a crucial demographic indicator, the mean age of childbearing provides valuable insights into population composition and trends.

How is Mean Age of Childbearing calculated?

MAC or Mean Age of Childbearing is calculated by dividing the sum of ages at childbirth by the number of childbirth events. In the context of the UN Revision of World Population Prospects, it accounts for all births, including both first and subsequent births. It is calculated by considering the ages at childbirth for all women in a given population, regardless of whether it is their first or later birth.

MAC = (Sum of ages at childbirth for all women) / (Total number of childbirth events)

Mean Age of Childbearing by Country

Mean Age of Childbearing by Region

Mean Age of Childbearing by Sub-region

Data Information

Data found on this page is based on the medium fertility variant of the United Nations Revision of World Population Prospects 2024.

Data Published: 2024-07-11

Data Sources

The United Nations - Department of Economic and Social Affairs (Population Division)

UN Revision of World Population Prospects 2024

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