Birth rate falls for 6th year in row

The number of births in the country decreased further in 2016 for the sixth consecutive year, according to Statistics Finland.

The data on population changes showed that 52,814 children were born in 2016, which was 2,658 children or 4.8 per cent lower than that in 2015.

The yearly decrease in 2016 is the highest since the beginning of the 1970s, when measured in relative terms.

When the number of births is proportioned to women in childbearing age, fertility can be examined. The total fertility rate is commonly used in measuring fertility. It indicates how many children a woman would give birth to calculatorily during her life time, if age group-specific fertility rates remained the same as in the year on which the calculation is based.

In addition to the decreasing number of births, the total fertility rate also continued to go down in 2016. At the birth rate prevailing in 2016, a woman would give birth to an average of 1.57 children. The 2015 total fertility rate was 1.65 children per woman. The rate was lower than 1.57 last in 1973, when it was 1.50, an all-time low. Since 1969, the total fertility rate has been below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman.

Compared to the year before, the total fertility rate went down for women under 38, most clearly for those aged 30. In 2016, women who gave birth to their first child were, on average, 29.1 years of age. The average age rose by 0.3 years from the year before and in 10 years it has risen by 1.0 years. Correspondingly, the average age of all women that gave birth went up by two decimals from the year before, to 30.8, but over the past ten years it has risen by eight decimals.

The total fertility rate is highest in Seinäjoki and lowest in Helsinki.