Global Birth Rates Decline as Births Fall 8.6% Over the Past Decade

The global population structure is undergoing an unprecedented shift. According to the latest data from the United Nations’ World Population Prospects 2024, an estimated 1.5 billion babies were born worldwide between 2015 and 2025. However, after peaking in 2016, annual birth numbers have generally trended downward. Despite brief periods of recovery, births in 2025 are projected to remain approximately 8.6% below the peak. Looking back at the past decade, 2016 marked the last peak of global fertility, with births reaching 144.85 million—the highest point during this period. Thereafter, the number of newborns worldwide began to decline year by year, dropping...