Births in Spain drop to lowest level on record
Preliminary data from the National Statistics Institute (INE) showed Spain’s birth rate has fallen to its lowest level since records began in 1941, Reuters reports
In 2023, the country’s population stood at 48.6 million, and Spain registered only 322,075 births.
“Last year’s Spanish birth rate was down 2 percent compared with 2022, adding to a drop of almost 25 percent in a decade,” the publication reads.
According to Eurostat, Spain has a live birth rate per woman of -1.19, compared to the EU average of 1.53 – both far short of the 2.1 at which existing population levels would be maintained.
“Demographers and economists have urged Europe to rethink attempts to boost its flagging birth rate and some Spanish regions have introduced financial measures and tax deductions to encourage people to start families,” Reuters reports.
Economic uncertainty, unemployment, and soaring housing prices are the main reasons why Spanish women either get pregnant later or have fewer children than they originally planned.
