France : Demography/ Birth rate falling – less than 700.000 babies born in 2023
For the past ten years, the birth rate in France has been steadily declining. In 2023, it reached a historically low level with fewer than 700.000 babies born, marking an unprecedented drop since World War II.
France recorded an historically low birth rate in 2023, according to the report from INSEE (National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies) published on Tuesday, January 16, 2024. The report, providing an overview of French society in 2023, reveals that only 678.000 births occurred in France over the last 12 months. This is 48.000 fewer than in 2022, representing a 6.6% decrease over this period.
According to the institute’s data, in the 13 years since 2010, when the last peak in births was observed, the birth rate has consistently declined. The year 2023 represents a drop of around 20%, a phenomenon referred to as a « baby crash », in contrast to the post-World War II « baby boom ».
This decline is attributed to the fact that parents are increasingly delaying having children. The average age of mothers at childbirth is now 31 years, compared to an average of 28 years in 1994.
The situation is also linked to a decline in the fertility rate, as noted last year : « Between 2010 and 2016, the decrease in the number of births was the result of both a decrease in the population of women and their fertility. From 2016 to 2023, the female population aged 20 to 40 is generally stable. The recent declines in the number of births are therefore mainly explained by the decline in fertility » explains INSEE.
According to the organization, the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has never been so low in France since World War II, except in 1993 and 1994.
This rate « stands at 1.68 children per woman in 2023, down from 1.79 in 2022 », it is noted.
Conversely, during the last peak in births in 2010, the TFR was above 2 births per woman (2.03). If the fertility rate is declining in all age groups, it reaches a historically low level for women aged 30 to 40, according to INSEE.
