Fertility rates in the Middle East have significantly decreased, with the total fertility rate (TFR) more than halving since the 1960s. Women are now having around three children, down from an average of seven. The Middle East has seen the greatest fertility decline globally over the past 30 years. Between 2011 and 2021, the TFR dropped 3.8% to 24.3% in several countries, especially Jordan, Iraq, and Yemen. In 2023, five Arab League states fell below the replacement rate of 2.1, indicating potential population challenges.
The total fertility rate in the Middle East has more than halved since the 1960s, going from an average of seven children per woman to around three by the early 2010s.
By 2016, researchers reported that the Middle East was experiencing "the greatest fertility decline in the world over the past 30 years," with significant drops in countries like Jordan, Iraq, and Yemen.
In 2023, five of the 22 member states of the Arab League had a TFR below 2.1, indicating troubling trends for population maintenance in the region.
The United Arab Emirates, with a TFR of just 1.2 children per woman, has fertility rates that fall below even some European countries such as Germany.
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