Spain's birth rate hits lowest level since 1941

The birth rate in Spain fell by 2% last year compared to 2022, bringing the country's decade-long decline in births to nearly 25%, making Spain the country with the second-lowest birth rate in the European Union (EU), after Malta, according to provisional data from the International Statistics Institute (INE) on Wednesday (April 21).

Birth rate in Spain hits lowest level since 1941 figure 1 — The birth rate in Spain in 2023 decreased by 2% compared to 2022. Illustration photo: AFP

Eurostat data shows Spain's birth rate is 1.19 births per woman, lower than the EU average of 1.53. Both are well below the 2.1 rate that experts say is needed to maintain population levels.

Demographers and economists have called on Europe to reconsider its efforts to boost its falling birth rate. Some regions in Spain have introduced financial incentives and tax deductions to encourage people to start families.

Explaining the reason for this situation, Ms. Marta Seiz, a university lecturer based in Madrid (Spain) specializing in family sociology, said that having children is no longer a common goal in today's life. Women want to have a career, want to achieve certain goals before starting a family.

Economic instability, unemployment, low-quality jobs and rising housing prices are also some of the reasons why Spaniards are having children later or having fewer children than originally planned, Ms Seiz added.

Although Spain has equalized maternity and paternity leave policies, Ms. Seiz said these measures were not enough.

The INE said the decline in birth rates was linked to families delaying childbearing. Over the past decade, the number of women over 40 giving birth increased by 19.3%. This age group now gives birth to about 10.7% of all children, compared to 6.8% in 2013. The number of mothers under 25 fell by 26% over the same period, to 9.4% of the total.

Ngoc Anh (according to Reuters)

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