Fertility Rates and Life Expectancy in Sub-Saharan Africa

In addition to increasing urbanization, the population in Sub-Saharan Africa is growing due to rapidly increasing fertility rates. Figure 6.18 illustrates fertility rates by country. Countries with darker circles have higher fertility rates, while the size of the circle indicates the life expectancy of the population. For example, people who live in Nigeria have a life expectancy of 54–59 years and a fertility rate of six children per woman. High fertility rates tend to correlate with low GDP per capita and low educational attainment. In general, the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have high fertility rates and low life expectancy.

The inability to access quality health care contributes to low life expectancy. Women have more children because they expect so many will die before they reach age five. According to UNICEF, the mortality rate for children under five in 2021 was 55 percent in Sub-Saharan Africa, higher than any other region in the world.