Fertility Rate Across Latin America and the Caribbean

The fertility rate indicates how many children a woman has, on average, over her lifetime. According to the United Nations, an average of 2.1 children per woman is needed for a population to remain stable without declining over time.

However, in Latin America and the Caribbean, 18 out of the 25 countries analyzed are already below that population replacement threshold, reflecting an advanced demographic transition across much of the region.

Only seven countries — including Haiti (2.6), Bolivia (2.5), and Honduras (2.5) — maintain fertility rates above 2.1. In contrast, countries such as Chile (1.1), Jamaica (1.4), and Uruguay (1.4) are among the lowest.

This suggests that future population growth in the region will increasingly depend on factors such as migration or changes in social and economic policy.