France’s statistical agency has released the number of births for 2022, a number that would be the lowest since the statistical agency’s creation in 1946.
The French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) reported that a total of 723,000 babies were born in the country in 2022, the lowest overall number recorded since 1946 and the continuation of a rapid decline in births that began in 2010.
Since 2010, the total number of births has fallen by more than 100,000, but the cause of the decline is not entirely clear, according to Sylvie Le Minez, head of the demographic and social studies unit at INSEE, the daily The Parisian relationships.
Didier Breton, professor of demography at the University of Strasbourg and research associate at INED (National Institute of Demographic Studies) noted that while France still enjoys the highest fertility rate in the European Union, other countries, such as Romania, they compete for first place.
A third of French women never want children, one of the reasons being climate change
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) September 30, 2022
“In the autumn, especially in September and October, we fell to particularly low levels. One wonders if this is not related to the economic crisis, to inflation which has been high,” Breton said.
“Covid was followed by an economic crisis marked by high inflation, and a political crisis linked to the war in Ukraine, but also by a climate crisis. In summary, since 2020 there have been crises that do not favor the decision to have a child ”, he added.
France’s birth rate is not unique in Europe as many counties have experienced rapid declines in fertility and births in recent decades, with some reaching new lows during the early years of the Coroanviorus pandemic, such as Spain And Italy.
Finland appeared to be one of the few EU members to see a small baby boom during the pandemic, but a report earlier this month revealed the baby boom didn’t last as births plummeted to record lows last year. year, with the fertility rate standing at just 1.33 children per woman.
Finland experienced a mini baby boom at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but new statistics reveal 2022 may have seen a record number of births in the EU country.
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