NEW YORK, 1 January 2019 – An estimated 395, 072 babies will be born around the world on New Year’s Day, UNICEF said on Jan 1. Of those, a quarter will be born in South Asia alone. As the clock strikes midnight, Sydney will greet an estimated 168 babies, followed by 310 in Tokyo, 605 in Beijing,

Fiji in the Pacific will most likely deliver 2019’s first baby; the United States, its last.

Globally, over half of these births are estimated to take place in eight countries:

1. India — 69,944
2. China — 44,940
3. Nigeria — 25,685
4. Pakistan — 15,112
5. Indonesia — 13,256
6. The United States of America — 11,086
7. The Democratic Republic of Congo — 10,053
8. Bangladesh — 8,428