The EU's fertility rate declined to 1.38 live births per woman in 2023, the largest drop since 1961. This decrease continues a long-standing trend, highlighting significant challenges such as an ageing population and potential labor shortages amidst restrictive migration policies. Bulgaria leads with a fertility rate of 1.81, while Malta reports the lowest at 1.06. The average age for first-time mothers has risen to 29.8 years. Despite a higher death rate than births, the EU's total population grew by 1.6 million, largely due to migration.
The fertility rate across the EU's 27 countries stood at 1.38 live births per woman, down from 1.46 in 2022 and well below the 'replacement level' of 2.1.
Births have steadily declined in Europe since the mid-1960s, recording only modest occasional recoveries over the past 20 years, according to the EU statistical agency.
Despite registering more deaths than births, the EU's total population increased by 1.6 million to 449.2 million people in 2023, as a result of migration.
The mean age at which women have their first child continued to rise, standing at 29.8 years, up from 28.8 in 2013, Eurostat said.
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