The number of births to unmarried parents in 2005 came to 4,577, according to EUSTAT data. This figure represents 23.2% of the total births and was higher than in 2004 (22%). Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa had similar percentages to the whole of the A.C. of the Basque Country, with 23% and 23.2% respectively, while Álava was the only province with relatively higher values (24%). Over the last 16 years the proportion of births to unmarried parents has tripled, as in 1990 it was 7.7%.

In 2005 the number of births in the A.C. of the Basque Country reached a figure of 19,715, which represented a 0.6% increase with regard to 2004; this growth was lower than experienced between 2003 and 2004, and came to 1.7%. In Bizkaia, in 2005, there was a higher increase (1.3%), followed by Gipuzkoa (0.2%), while Álava registered a 0.6% decrease.

The birth rate came to 9.3 per thousand inhabitants, far from the 20 per thousand registered in the decade of the 60s. The highest figure was in Gipuzkoa (10‰), followed by Álava (9.4‰) and Bizkaia (8.9‰).

The sharp downward trend in births that started in 1976 slowed down from the end of the 80s and reached its lowest level in 1994. The figures for 2005 maintain the upward trend in births that started in 1995.

Three out of every four women who gave birth in 2005 were aged thirty or over. The most numerous age group corresponds to women aged between 30 and 34, with 45.6% of the total births. In addition, there was an increase in the over 35 years age group (31%) with regard to 2004, which continues to clearly surpass the group of 25 to 29 year olds (17.9%). The average age of mothers was 32.2, while for first time mothers is was 31.1, similar figures to those of 2004.

Over the last ten years all the maternal age groups aged under 35 have lost weight, the group of 25 to 29 year-olds being the group that lost most (9 percentage points). By contrast, the group of mothers aged 35 and over increased by almost double.

Taking into consideration the order of birth, the first born in 2005 represented 57.7%, an identical proportion to the year before. By contrast, third and subsequent born only accounted for 6.2%.

The number of births rose to 19,368, of which 18,960 were single, 392 double and 16 triple births.

The ratio of sexes among births in 2005 was 105 males to every 100 females. On average, males weighed 3,309 grams and females 3,180 grams.

Table1: Live births in 2005 by mother’s province of residence

Source: EUSTAT