Total fertility rates APAC 2021, by country

With an average of 4.6 births per woman, Afghanistan had the highest fertility rate throughout the Asia-Pacific region in 2021. Pakistan and Papua New Guinea followed with the second and third highest fertility rates, respectively. In contrast, South Korea and Hong Kong had the lowest fertility rates across the region.

Contraception usage

Fertility rates among women in the Asia-Pacific region have fallen throughout recent years. A likely reason is an increase in contraception use. However, contraception usage varies greatly throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Although contraception prevalence is set to increase across South Asia by 2030, women in both East Asia and Southeast Asia had higher contraception usage compared to South Asia in 2019.

Women in APAC

With the rise of feminism and the advancement of human rights, attitudes towards the role of women have changed in the Asia-Pacific region. Achieving gender equality has become a vital necessity for both men and women throughout the region. Alongside changes in traditional gender roles, women in certain Asia-Pacific countries, such as New Zealand, have become more inclined to marry later in life. Furthermore, the focus for younger women appears to be with having stability in their lives and securing an enjoyable job. This was displayed when female high school students in Japan were questioned about their future life aspirations.