Birth rate: what is it, formula and examples

What is the birth rate?

Birth rate, crude birth rate or birth rate is called the number of births that occurs in a territory for every thousand inhabitants in a period of one year.

The birth rate is used to calculate population growth in a given territory. This indicator allows projecting over time the necessary policies for the distribution of the population and economic resources.

For example, Regarding the birth rate in the world, in 2018 there was an index of 18.2 births per thousand inhabitants. Let's see the behavior of this figure over time:

Year	2011	2012	2013	2014	2016	2017	2018
Global index	19.15	19.14	18.9	18.7	18.5	18.4	18.2

Graph of the global birth rate between 2000 and 2018. Source: IndexMundi.

Regarding the birth rate in Mexico, in 2018 it stood at 18.1 ‰. The graph and table below allow evaluating the behavior of the birth rate of that country over time.

Year	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2016	2018
Mexico Index	19.39	19.13	18.87	18.61	19.02	18.5	18.1

Graph of the birth rate in Mexico between 2000 and 2018. Source: IndexMundi.

The birth rate alone does not allow an understanding of the population structure, since it does not discriminate variables such as age and sex, fundamental to truly understand demographic projections. Therefore, any comparative analysis requires that the information on the birth rate be supplemented with other indicators.

You may also be interested in: Population growth.

Formula

The birth rate is calculated by dividing the number of births that occur annually in a territory by the total number of its population; after this, the result is multiplied by a thousand. The formula for the birth rate is as follows:

Tn = (n / p) x 1000

Where,

• Tn = Birth rate; n = total number of births in a year; p = total population.

For example,

If 241 births are registered in a region with a total population of 5783 people, what is the birth rate?

• Tn = (241/5783) x 1000Tn = 0.0416 x 1000 Tn = 41.63

It can also be calculated as follows: Tn = number of births x 1000 / total population.

Birth and mortality rate

The mortality rate refers to the number of deaths that occur in a territory for every thousand inhabitants in a period of one year. The relationship between the birth and mortality rate is important, since both indicators together allow us to understand the rate of population or demographic growth.

These, along with other indicators such as fertility rate, GDP, morbidity, and life expectancy, are necessary to better calculate the human development index.

See also:

• Human development index Morbidity.

Fertility rate

The birth rate should not be confused with the fertility rate. The fertility rate refers to the hypothetical number of births that would occur in a given period and territory, taking into account the number of women of reproductive age. The fertility rate serves to make projections of future population growth.