Column Actions

The purpose of this indicator is to measure the adolescent birth rate (aged 10–14 years; aged 15–19 years) per 1,000 women in that age group to assess progress towards achieving SDG Target 3.7: ‘By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes’. This indicator provides essential data on adolescent pregnancies and births, which is critical for understanding the reproductive health needs of adolescents, assessing the effectiveness of adolescent sexual and reproductive health programs, and promoting policies and interventions to prevent early and unintended pregnancies among adolescents. By monitoring this indicator, policymakers, stakeholders, and organizations can make informed decisions to promote sustainable development and address challenges such as reducing adolescent pregnancies, preventing early marriages, improving access to comprehensive sexuality education, and ensuring access to sexual and reproductive health services for adolescents. This indicator helps to ensure that adolescents, especially girls, are included in efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, thereby contributing to the overall objective of sustainable, inclusive, and equitable growth.

This indicator measures the adolescent birth rate (aged 10–14 years; aged 15–19 years) per 1,000 women in that age group to monitor progress towards SDG Target 3.7: ‘By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes’. It is defined as the annual number of births to females aged 10-14 or 15-19 years per 1,000 females in the respective age group. The relevance of this indicator lies in its ability to provide critical data on adolescent pregnancies and births, which is essential for understanding the reproductive health needs of adolescents, assessing the effectiveness of adolescent sexual and reproductive health programs, and promoting policies and interventions to prevent early and unintended pregnancies among adolescents. The data for this indicator is collected through administrative reports, and it is calculated by the number of births to women ages 15-19 divided by the mid-year population of women ages 15-19 multiplied by 1,000. By tracking this indicator, stakeholders can gain valuable insights into the reproductive health needs of adolescents, assessing the effectiveness of adolescent sexual and reproductive health programs, and promoting policies and interventions to prevent early and unintended pregnancies among adolescents, enabling them to make informed decisions to promote sustainable development and address challenges such as reducing adolescent pregnancies, preventing early marriages, improving access to comprehensive sexuality education, and ensuring access to sexual and reproductive health services for adolescents.

Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW)

Annual

Annual number of births to females aged 10-14, 15-19, and 10-19 years per 1,000 females in the respective age group.

Indicator definition: The adolescent birth rate represents the level of childbearing among females in the particular age group. The adolescent birth rate among women aged 15-19 years is also referred to as the age-specific fertility rate for women aged 15-19.
Geographical coverage: National
Data collection method: Administrative report. 
Data availability: Data is available for 2012 to 2023.

N/A

Age Range. (10 to 14, 15 to 19, and 10-19)

The adolescent birth rate is computed as a ratio. The numerator is the number of live births to women aged 15-19 years, and the denominator is the population of women aged 15-19 years. The computation is the same for the age group 10-14 years and 10 – 19 years. The numerator and the denominator are calculated differently for civil registration, survey and census data. 

Computation formula: Adolescent Birth Rate (15-19) = (number of births to women ages 15-19/mid-year population of women ages 15-19) * 1,000 

In the case of civil registration data, the numerator is the registered number of live births born to women aged 15-19 years during a given year, and the denominator is the estimated or enumerated population of women aged 15-19 years. 

In the case of survey data, the numerator is the number of live births obtained from retrospective birth histories of the interviewed women who were 15-19 years of age at the time of the births during a reference period before the interview, and the denominator is person-years lived between the ages of 15 and 19 years by the interviewed women during the same reference period. The reported observation year corresponds to the middle of the reference period. For some surveys without data on retrospective birth histories, computation of the adolescent birth rate is based on the date of last birth or the number of births in the 12 months preceding the survey. 

With census data, the adolescent birth rate is computed on the basis of the date of last birth or the number of births in the 12 months preceding the enumeration. The census provides both the numerator and the denominator for the rates. In some cases, the rates based on censuses are adjusted for under registration based on indirect methods of estimation. For some countries with no other reliable data, the own-children method of indirect estimation provides estimates of the adolescent birth rate for a number of years before the census.

Whenever data are available, adolescent fertility at ages 10-14 years are also computed. 

For a thorough treatment of the different methods of computation, see Handbook on the Collection of Fertility and Mortality Data, United Nations Publication, Sales No. E.03.XVII.11, (https://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/standmeth/handbooks/Handbook_Fertility_Mortality.pdf).In direct methods of estimation are analyzed in Manual X: Indirect Techniques for Demographic Estimation, United Nations Publication, Sales No. E.83.XIII.2.

Policy Development: Use the data to inform and shape policies aimed at improving access to comprehensive sexuality education, sexual and reproductive health services, and contraception for adolescents, ensuring that these policies are rights-based, gender-sensitive, and evidence-based.
Program Planning and Implementation: Design and implement programs to improve access to comprehensive sexuality education, sexual and reproductive health services, and contraception for adolescents, integrating these services into existing healthcare systems and community settings. 
Monitoring and Evaluation: Track progress towards SDG Target 3.7 and evaluate the effectiveness of programs and interventions aimed at reducing the adolescent birth rate, using the data to measure outcomes, identify barriers to access, and inform strategies to improve adolescent sexual and reproductive health.
International Comparisons: Compare progress in reducing adolescent birth rate across different countries, sharing best practices and lessons learned to improve adolescent sexual and reproductive health outcomes globally.
Reporting and Accountability: Report progress to stakeholders, including governments and international organizations, to ensure accountability and transparency in achieving SDG Target 3.7.

All the metadata shown in this document was gathered from United Nation Statistics Division. The metadata was extracted from https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/.