Press release 30/08/2017
The birth rate in the Basque Country is far lower than the average of the EU-28
8.7 births per 1,000 inhabitants were recorded, compared to the 10.0 births in the countries of this area
One of the most relevant demographic indicators is that which refers to the birth rate. According to the most recent Eustat and Eurostat data, the birth rate in the Basque Country in 2015 was among the lowest of the EU-28 countries. With 8.7 births per 1,000 inhabitants, it was far below the EU-28 average for that same year, which was 10.0.
In 2005 the birth rate stood at 9.3 and in 2010 it was at 9.7 in the Basque Country. It was noteworthy that the birth rate fell drastically in the period 2010-2015 until reaching one percentage point.
What also stood out in these same years, 2005 and 2010, was the birth rates of the EU-28, which were 10.4 and 10.7 births on average for every 1,000 inhabitants, and they have always been higher than those registered in the Basque Country in the period 2005-2015.
The rate for Spain was also very low in 2015 - 9.0 births per 1,000 inhabitants - although it was slightly higher than that registered in the Basque Country. In the years 2005 and 2010 it also registered higher birth rates than the Basque ones, 10.6 and 10.4 births, respectively.
In the ranking of EU-28 countries, the birth rate of the Basque Country in 2015 exceeded only that of Italy (8.0 births per 1,000 inhabitants), Portugal (8.3) and Greece (8.5).
On the other hand, the highest rates registered in the EU-28 corresponded to Ireland (14.1), France (12.0), United Kingdom (11.9) and Sweden (11.7), among others.
For further information:
Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Basque Statistics Institute
C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz
Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.eus Tel: 945 01 75 62