The annual accumulated figure came to 13,401 births in the A.C. of the Basque Country
Data corresponding to the third quarter of 2002 on Birth Statistics show a figure of 4,529 births in the A.C. of the Basque Country, 1.6% more than the same period the previous year, according to EUSTAT data. By provinces, 626 babies were born in Álava (+2.5%), 2,325 (+1.8%) in Bizkaia and 1,578 (+1.0%) in Gipuzkoa.
According to the order of birth, over half, 2,704 babies (59.7%), were first born in the third quarter of 2002; 1,572 babies (34.7%) were born to families that already had a child and 253 (5.6%) were third or subsequent born in the family. Alava was the only province where the proportion of third or subsequent born was lower than the average for the A.C. of the Basque Country.
Almost half the mothers were aged between 30 and 34
In the distribution of births according to age, there was still a clear predominance of mothers aged 30-34, which accounted for almost half the births. This group is followed by the immediately older group of 35-39 year olds with 25.3%, surpassing the group of 25-29 year olds, who accounted for 20%. Of the extreme groups, the under 25 year olds represented 5.6%, while the over 40 year olds represented 2.9%.
Births outside marriage represent 17.7% of the total, more
than a one point increase with regard to the third quarter of 2001. In Gipuzkoa
this proportion was lower than the whole of the A.C. of the Basque Country (16.0%).
The maternity age for this group is younger than for the whole of the women
who gave birth, as 20.4% of unmarried mothers were under the age of 25.