Europe’s Fertility Rate Continues to Fall

The number of live births continues to fall in Europe, with the number of live births falling below 4 million for the first time since 1960.

According to the latest data, the number of births in the European Union (EU) reached its lowest level since the 1960s. Only 3.88 million births were recorded in Europe in 2022, representing one of the lowest birth rates in the world.

The fertility rate also fell in 2022 to 1.46 live births per woman in the EU. This is a small decrease from 2021 (1.53 live births per woman) and 2020 (1.51). 

European fertility rates have followed a downward trend since 1960, but 2022 is the lowest number recorded. To put these figures into context, 5.1 million babies were born in 1990 in the EU, the last year births in the EU exceeded 5 million.

Significant Differences in Fertility Rates Across Europe

The fertility rate varied significantly across Europe in 2022, ranging from 1.79 in France to just 1.08 in Malta. Mediterranean nations tend to have the lowest fertility rate despite France having the highest rate, with Spain (1.16), Italy (1.24), Greece (1.32), and Cyprus (1.37) all having notably lower than average fertility rates. 

Fertility Rate in the EU (2022)

Source: Eurostat.

Europe Has One of the World’s Lowest Fertility Rates 

In 2022, the EU reported a 1.52 fertility rate compared to a world average of 2.3. This was the second lowest number in the world, after the East Asia and Pacific region, with a rate of 1.49. The world fertility rates varied hugely, with Sub-Saharan Africa leading the way with a fertility rate of 4.5:

Source: World Bank

Figures on Statista for 2024 show a similar picture, with Europe lagging behind the other continents in terms of fertility.

Source: Statista

Reasons Behind Europe’s Falling Fertility Rate

The European Commission cites several reasons to explain why European women are having fewer babies. Socio-economic shifts, gender inequality, prolonged education and career paths, changing family dynamics, different norms, and the postponement of parenthood are listed as the main factors in the declining fertility rate across the continent.

Could Pro-Family Policies Incentivise Women to Have More Children?  

A lack of economic resources is often cited as the reason why women aren’t having more children. However, The Financial Times revealed interesting data that refutes that theory. In a TikTok video released by the publication, it was shown that pro-family policies – namely, offering couples financial incentives for having children – ultimately doesn’t impact how many children each couple has.

Between 1980 and 2019, the amount of money developed countries spent on family-friendly policies tripled, but the fertility rate still declined from 1.9 to 1.5 per woman. The trend was constant, regardless of politics, wealth, or location. Even countries that fully subsidise childcare like Finland are experiencing the same downward trend in live births as other much more conservative countries.

It’s thought that the decision to extend the family or not is one that goes beyond money and that ultimately, the declining fertility rate in Europe is a question of changing priorities.

What Do Euro Weekly News Readers Say About the Continent’s Low Fertility Rate?

Euro News Weekly readers responded to news about Spain’s birth rate plummeting to a historic low in January. The reason attributed to the low number of live births in Europe was simple: money. John said, “The reason is simply because it is too expensive to have children today. The cost of bringing them up and feeding and schooling them plus rents, mortgages, taxes, and being ripped off with high charges for food and fuel.”

ENW reader Marcos agreed, saying: “Would be such a burden (to have children). I could not enjoy my children because I would have to get a third job”. 

So what do you think? Do you agree with our readers that money is the deciding factor, or do you think there are more factors at play? Leave us a comment below!