Experts believe the decline in birth rate may be driven by factors such as concerns over climate change, the pandemic, and the highest inflation surge in a generation.
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00:00EU birth rates hit a record low in 2023.
00:08Births across EU member states fell to 3,665,000 in 2023. This is the lowest number in 10 years.
00:19However, it is not the only downturn. Between 2022 and 2023, the total number of births also
00:26experienced the largest annual decline on record, with a 5.5% drop. Italy, Spain,
00:34Greece, Lithuania and Latvia saw the lowest birth rates in 2023. Experts claim that some of the
00:41reasons might be related to concerns over climate change, the pandemic and the worst surge in
00:47inflation in a generation. As people delay parenthood, the average mother's age in Europe
00:53also rises. In 2013, the largest age group was women aged 25 to 29, but a decade later,
01:01the largest age group was women aged 30 to 34. The United Nations says that most European
01:08populations have already peaked. It also warns that the increase in the proportion and number
01:15of people aged 65 and over requires the development and the strengthening of health care and social
01:22protection systems, as well as national policies to create fair and inclusive societies for people
01:28of all ages.