Press release 11/12/2009

BIRTH STATISTICS (ENAC), 2nd quarter 2009

Births fell by 2.1% in the second quarter of 2009

54% of the 5,347 children born in the second quarter of 2009 were first children

The number of births in the Basque Country in the second quarter of 2009 stood at 5,347, according to Eustat data, down 2.1% on the figure for the same period of the previous year. By provinces, 844 children were born in Álava, which was up 3.3% on the number in births for the second quarter of 2008. In Bizkaia, where 2,650 children were born, births fell by 4.4%, while there were 1,853 births in Gipuzkoa, down by 1%.

Births outside marriage accounted for 29.9% of the total, practically the same percentage for the same quarter of 2008. Bizkaia (30.8%) was the only province with values over those for the Basque Country overall. The percentages were slightly lower in Álava and Gipuzkoa, 28.4% and 29.1%, respectively.

As refers to birth sequence, over half of the children (2930) were first children in the second quarter of 2009; 2,028 children (37.9%) were born into families where there was already another child and the percentage of third or later children stood at 8.1%. Gipuzkoa (43.7%) was the only province where the proportion of second or later children was greater than the average for the Basque Country (46%). On the other hand, the percentages for Álava and Gipuzkoa were lower, 48% in both cases.

The mothers were over 30 in three out of every four births

As refers to the distribution of births according to the age of the mother, there continued to be a clear preponderance of the 30-34 year-old age group, in which almost half of the births took place. This group is followed by the next oldest group, aged between 35-39, which accounted for 29.3% and was ahead of the 25-29 age group, with 16% of births. At either end of the scale, the group of mothers under 25 accounted for 6.5% of births, whereas mothers over 40 lagged slightly behind, with 4.2% of the total births.

Single mothers give birth when younger than the rest of women with children as a whole, as 15.2.% of unmarried mothers were under 25 and 20.4% between 25 and 29 years old.

For further information:

Basque Statistics Office C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz Tlf:+34-945-01 75 00 Fax:+34-945-01 75 01 E-mail: eustat@eustat.es Contact: Martín González Hernández Tlf:+34-945-01 75 49 Fax:+34-945-01 75 01 Online press releases: www.eustat.es