EU reports huge fall in birth amount

(MENAFN) According to Eurostat, the number of babies born across the European Union fell to a record low in 2023, reaching 3.665 million, a 5.5% decline from the previous year. This marked the lowest birth rate since data collection began in 1961, with a steady downward trend observed since 2008.

Countries such as Italy, Spain, Greece, Poland, Finland, and the Baltic states have experienced the sharpest declines in births over the past decade. Demographers suggest that factors like economic uncertainty, political tensions, inflation, climate change, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may have exacerbated the declining birth rates.

In contrast to the shrinking birth rates, the EU's overall population has continued to grow, mainly due to immigration. Eurostat noted that the negative natural population change (more deaths than births) has been offset by a positive net migration, particularly following the pandemic and the arrival of immigrants, including those from Ukraine.

The EU's fertility rate remains well below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman, with all regions reporting rates under that threshold.

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