Uruguay Fertility Rate

Uruguay’s fertility rate has fallen sharply over the 65‑year series, declining from 2.83 in 1960 to a historic low of 1.31 in 2025, which places the country at rank 185 globally. The upward swing that peaked at 3.02 in 1975 was reversed by the early 1990s, and the subsequent decline accelerated after 2000, mirroring trends in several Southern European peers; Greece, for example, records a comparable rate of 1.32, while Austria posts 1.30. The sustained sub‑replacement fertility reflects persistent socioeconomic factors such as increased female labor force participation, delayed marriage, and limited child‑bearing incentives, all of which have been reinforced by urbanisation and rising living costs. Although Uruguay’s rate remains marginally above Austria’s 1.30, the proximity to the European low suggests limited room for further contraction without policy intervention. Strengthening family‑support measures, expanding affordable childcare and encouraging work‑life balance could stabilise the trajectory and modestly raise the fertility rate in the coming decade.