Crude birth rate calculator
This crude birth rate calculator divides the births of a year by the mid-year population and multiplies by 1,000: 12,000 births in a population of 1,000,000 are a crude birth rate of 12 per 1,000. It also gives the crude death rate and the rate of natural increase.
Example: Live births in the year 12,000 · Deaths in the year 9,000 · Mid-year (average) population 1,000,000 → Rates: Birth rate 12.0 ‰, death rate 9.0 ‰, natural increase +3.0 ‰. Source: UN Statistics Division, Demographic Yearbook 2019, Technical notes Table 4: crude birth and death rate per 1000 of the mid-year population, natural increase = difference, excluding migration (read 10.10.2026). Updated: .
How it is calculated
Crude birth rate = births ÷ population × 1,000; crude death rate = deaths ÷ population × 1,000; rate of natural increase = crude birth rate − crude death rate. The UN Demographic Yearbook defines the crude birth and death rates as the annual number of each of these vital events per 1,000 mid-year population, and the rate of natural increase as the difference between the two. Eurostat divides by the average population of the year and also expresses the result per 1,000 inhabitants.
Birth rate and natural increase examples
| Population | Births | Deaths | Birth rate (‰) | Natural increase (‰) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000,000 | 12,000 | 9,000 | 12.0 | 3.0 |
| 100,000 | 950 | 1,200 | 9.5 | −2.5 |
| 250,000 | 4,500 | 1,500 | 18.0 | 12.0 |
| 2,000,000 | 19,000 | 23,600 | 9.5 | −2.3 |
Per 1,000 (‰) divided by 10 gives percent: a natural increase of 3 per 1,000 is 0.3 %. A negative value means more deaths than births – a natural decrease.
Step by step
- Birth rate: 12,000 ÷ 1,000,000 × 1,000 = 12 per 1,000.
- Death rate: 9,000 ÷ 1,000,000 × 1,000 = 9 per 1,000.
- Natural increase: 12 − 9 = 3 per 1,000, or 0.3 % a year.
Natural increase is not population growth
The UN points out that rates of natural increase may differ from population growth rates, because natural increase does not take net international migration into account. A country with more deaths than births can still grow if more people move in. For the growth between two counts use the population growth rate calculator; people per km² come from the population density calculator and other shares from the percentage calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate the crude birth rate?
Divide the live births of the year by the mid-year population and multiply by 1,000. 12,000 ÷ 1,000,000 × 1,000 = 12 births per 1,000 people.
How do I turn per 1,000 into percent?
Divide by 10. A death rate of 9 per 1,000 is 0.9 %, a natural increase of 3 per 1,000 is 0.3 %.
What is the rate of natural increase?
The crude birth rate minus the crude death rate (UN). With 12 and 9 per 1,000 it is 3 per 1,000, or 0.3 %.
Which population do I divide by?
The UN uses the mid-year population, Eurostat the average population of the year. Use the same year as the births and deaths.
Can natural increase be negative?
Yes. 950 births and 1,200 deaths in a population of 100,000 give −2.5 per 1,000: the population shrinks naturally unless migration makes up for it.
Sources and legal basis
- UN Statistics Division, Demographic Yearbook 2019, Technical notes Table 4: crude birth and death rate per 1000 of the mid-year population, natural increase = difference, excluding migration (read 10.10.2026)
- Eurostat, Statistics Explained – Glossary: Crude birth rate and Crude death rate (per 1000 inhabitants, average population of the year) (read 10.10.2026)
As of: · Editorial policy
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