The United Nations Statistics Division collects data on natality through the following Demographic Yearbook questionnaires:

Nineteen tables on fertility and foetal deaths, cross-tabulated by various social and demographic characteristics, such as age of mother, sex of child, birth order, etc. are collected through these questionnaires.

Dissemination of data from the Demographic Yearbook

Most of these tables are disseminated in the Demographic Yearbook annually. Detailed tabulations are also published in special editions of the Demographic Yearbook dedicated to the topics of natality and mortality, and population census statistics.

The most recent special issue dedicated to natality was published by the United Nations Statistics Division in the Demographic Yearbook 1999 special tabulations on natality.

Tabulations on children ever born and children living collected in national population censuses conducted between 1985-2004 are also available online.

Print copies of the Demographic Yearbook can be purchased through the UN Publications. 

Review of the United Nations' collection and dissemination of data from the Demographic Yearbook

The 2004 United Nations technical report reviews the collection and dissemination of data on fertility within the Demographic Yearbook.