Birth rate in France falls to post-war low in 2023
Births in France fell last year to their lowest annual number since World War II, the national statistics bureau said on Tuesday.
Around 678,000 babies were born in 2023, INSEE said, a drop of 6.6 percent from the previous year and the lowest number for any year since 1946.
The numbers translated into an average birth rate of 1.68 children for each woman, against 1.79 in 2022.
But fewer deaths over the same period translated into a 0.3-percent increase in the overall French population, which stood at 68.4 million on January 1st.
INSEE said 631,000 people died in France in 2023, a fall of 6.5 percent from the previous year, when Covid-19 and heatwaves had led to a higher than usual mortality rate.
Migration flows added a net 183,000 people to the overall population last year, INSEE said.
Life expectancy for people in France rose to a new record. It now stands at 85.7 years for women and 80 for men, it said.
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Around 678,000 babies were born in 2023, INSEE said, a drop of 6.6 percent from the previous year and the lowest number for any year since 1946.
The numbers translated into an average birth rate of 1.68 children for each woman, against 1.79 in 2022.
But fewer deaths over the same period translated into a 0.3-percent increase in the overall French population, which stood at 68.4 million on January 1st.
INSEE said 631,000 people died in France in 2023, a fall of 6.5 percent from the previous year, when Covid-19 and heatwaves had led to a higher than usual mortality rate.
Migration flows added a net 183,000 people to the overall population last year, INSEE said.
Life expectancy for people in France rose to a new record. It now stands at 85.7 years for women and 80 for men, it said.
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