10 Countries with the Youngest Average Age of Women at First Birth

Becoming a mother was once often seen as a significant milestone for women across various cultures. However, the average age of women giving birth is now increasing.

According to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in its 2021 World Factbook report, the youngest average age for women having their first child is 18.1 years in Chad. In their 2020 report, the average age was 17.9 years.

Niger and Bangladesh also feature among the countries with the youngest average age for first-time mothers, at 18.5 and 18.6 years respectively. Other countries on the list of youngest average ages for first-time mothers are all below 20 years old.

Meanwhile, the oldest average ages for first-time mothers are found in Andorra (32.8 years), South Korea (32.2 years), San Marino (31.9 years), Italy (31.4 years), and Spain (31.2 years).

For information, the average age of mothers at childbirth is calculated as the simple average age in years of women at the time of giving birth.

The following is a list of countries with the youngest average age of women at the time of their first childbirth:

1. Chad: 18.1 years (estimated data from 2014/15)
2. Niger: 18.5 years (estimated data from 2012)
3. Bangladesh: 18.6 years (estimated data from 2017/18)
4. Liberia: 19.1 years (estimated data from 2019/20)
5. Malawi: 19.1 years (estimated data from 2015/16)
6. Mali: 19.2 years (estimated data from 2018)
7. Mozambique: 19.2 years (estimated data from 2011)
8. Nicaragua: 19.2 years (estimated data from 2011/12)
9. Zambia: 19.2 years (estimated data from 2018)
10. Ethiopia: 19.3 years (estimated data from 2019)