The birth rate in the A.C. of the Basque Country is among the lowest in EU-27 countries, according to Eustat data available for all these territorial spheres. Therefore, with 9.5 births per 1,000 inhabitants, it is under the EU-27 average, standing at 10.6 births per 1000 inhabitants. It is equal to Italy (9.5) and is only ahead of Austria and Slovenia (9.4 each), Lithuania (9.2), and Germany (8.2). The Spanish birth rate is 10.8 per 1000 inhabitants.

Births and Deaths (per 1000 inhabitants) in the EU-27

Source: Eustat and Eurostat

If this data is compared with the 1975 figures, a radical change over the last decades can be seen, as the A.C. of the Basque Country then had 19.1 births per 1000 inhabitants. While the figure for Spain was 18.8 in that year, the average for this indicator for the countries making up the EU-27 stood at 14.7 births. The difference between both years (1975-2006) is much less marked than in our Community.

As far as the mortality rate is concerned, if there were 7.1 deaths per 1000 inhabitants in the A.C. in the Basque Country in 1975, this figure had increased to 8.7 deaths in 2006. The rate for Spain stood at 8.4 deaths for the same period. If the figures for the EU-27 countries are analysed, the average stood at 10.7 deaths per 1000 inhabitants in 1975,compared to 9.5 deaths in 2006.

Finally, it is also noteworthy that the A.C. of the Basque Country had the highest population percentage aged 65 or over (18.7%) of all the EU-27 countries (only behind Germany and Italy) and also the lower population aged 14 or under (12.2%). These percentages stood at 16.7% and 14.5% for Spain, respectively. If 1996 is taken as the benchmark, the figures were 16.1% for the 65 and over age group and 12.3% for the 14 and under group in A.C. of the Basque Country and 13.4% and 16.4%, respectively, for Spain.

Another important demographic indicator refers to life expectancy. According to data for 2006, this stands at 77.3 for men and 84.8 for women in the A.C. in the Basque Country. The rate for women is the highest in all European Union countries. In Spain, the 2006 figures were 77.7 for men and 84.4 for women.