Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42526936›Full record

ArticleBMJ global health2026

Levels and trends in fertility rates among adolescents aged 10-14 and 15-19 in 201 countries and areas from 1950 to 2023.

Fengqing Chao, Vladimíra Kantorová, Giulia Gonnella, Bruno Schoumaker, David A Sánchez-Páez, Patrick Gerland

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Article in BMJ global health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Fengqing ChaoComputational Social Science Division, School of Humanities and Social Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China chaofengqing@cuhk.edu.cn.ORCID 0000-0002-2228-5970
Vladimíra KantorováDepartment of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations Population Division, New York, New York, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2960-5930
Giulia GonnellaDepartment of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations Population Division, New York, New York, USA.
Bruno SchoumakerCentre for Demographic Research, Iacchos Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
David A Sánchez-PáezDepartment of Economic Theory, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-7828-8193
Patrick GerlandDepartment of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations Population Division, New York, New York, USA.

Funding

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation INV-033016
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionReducing adolescent childbearing is essential for improving sexual and reproductive health and the social and economic well-being of adolescents. Adolescent birth rate is an indicator to monitor progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 3.7 by 2030, ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services. However, the availability and reliability of data on adolescent fertility rates are low.

methodsWe produce annual estimates of age-specific fertility rates (ASFR) for girls aged 10-14 and 15-19 from 1950 to 2023 for the world, regions and 201 countries and territories. Based on a comprehensive ASFR database, we estimate the under-20 ASFR with a Bayesian hierarchical time series model, using covariates such as total fertility rates and female educational attainment and adjusting for biases and under-reporting. We calculate the number of births to adolescents by applying rates to the female population in the respective age groups.

resultsBetween 1990 and 2023, global ASFR for girls aged 10-14 decreased by 76%, from 4.5 (95% uncertainty interval (UI) (4.1 to 5.2)) to 1.1 (95% UI 0.9 to 1.4) births per 1000, while ASFR for girls aged 15-19 fell by 48%, from 74.7 (95% UI 72.5 to 77.1) to 39.0 (95% UI 36.8 to 41.4) births per 1000. In 2023, births to mothers aged 10-14 years were estimated at 347 (95% UI 285 to 454) thousand, and for those aged 15-19 years at 12.2 (95% UI 11.5 to 12.9) million. The number of births among adolescents aged 15-19 in sub-Saharan Africa increased during 1990-2023 due to population growth and slower fertility declines.

conclusionDespite significant global reduction in adolescent childbearing, regional and national disparities persist. Targeted interventions addressing child marriage, educational inequities and lack of access to reproductive health services will be critical for achieving related SDG targets and advancing gender equality and women's empowerment.

Indexed as

Birth RateGlobal HealthPregnancy in AdolescenceAdolescentChildFemaleHumansPregnancyYoung AdultChild healthGender-Based ViolenceGlobal HealthMathematical modellingMedical demography

Identifiers

PMID42526936
PMCPMC13475349

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.