Press Release 07/02/2022
BIRTH STATISTICS. III/2021
Births in the Basque Country were down 3.3% in the third quarter of 2021
Babies born to unmarried mothers accounted for 48.4% of the total
In the third quarter of 2021 the number of births in the Basque Country stood at 3,783, which was a drop of 3.3% compared to the same quarter of the previous year, according to Eustat data. The province to experience the biggest decrease was Álava, where 606 boys and girls were born, down 5.8% on the same quarter of the previous year; in Gipuzkoa, with 1,319 births, there was a decrease of 3.1%, and finally, in Bizkaia, with 1,858 births, there was a drop of 2.7%.
Births outside marriage accounted for 48.4% of the total, higher than the 47.2% registered in the same quarter of 2020.
According to order of birth, 1,860 boys and girls (49.2%) were first children in the summer months of 2021; 1,411 (37.3%) arrived in families that already had another son or daughter and 13.5% were third or subsequent children.
8 out of every 10 mothers were over the age of 30
According to the age of the mother, the 30-34 year-old age group continued to be in the majority, producing 34.9% of births. They were immediately followed by the 35-39 age group, with 34.3%. The 25-29 age group accounted for 13.4% of births, and the under-25s for 6.1%. It is worth noting that mothers aged 40 or over accounted for 11.3% of births.
The average age of mothers stood at 33.5: for married mothers it stood at 34.1; for single mothers it was 32.7, and for divorcees it was 37.6.
The percentage of mothers with foreign nationality decreased
27.2% of births in the Basque Country in July, August and September 2021 were to mothers of foreign nationality, a slightly lower percentage than the 27.8% for the same period of the previous year. This percentage was higher in Álava, where it stood at 32.9%; in Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa the proportion of mothers with foreign nationality stood at 27.2% and 26.7%, respectively.
The age of maternity also varied according to nationality. In fact, the average age of foreign mothers was 31.1, compared to 34.5 for mothers with Spanish nationality.
Live births in the Basque Country by province, age, marital status and nationality of the mother and birth order (1). 2021/III
| | Current quarter III/2021 | Previous quarter III/2021 | Same quarter of the previous year |
| | NO. | % | NO. | % | NO. | % |
| Basque Country | 3.783 | 100,0 | 3.539 | 100,0 | 3.914 | 100,0 |
| Araba / Álava | 606 | 16,0 | 577 | 16,3 | 643 | 16,4 |
| Bizkaia | 1.858 | 49,1 | 1.740 | 49,2 | 1.910 | 48,8 |
| Gipuzkoa | 1.319 | 34,9 | 1.222 | 34,5 | 1.361 | 34,8 |
| | | | | | | |
| AGE OF THE MOTHER | | | | | | |
| 24 years or less | 231 | 6,1 | 222 | 6,3 | 263 | 6,7 |
| 25 - 29 years | 507 | 13,4 | 435 | 12,3 | 526 | 13,4 |
| 30 - 34 years | 1.322 | 34,9 | 1.249 | 35,3 | 1.362 | 34,8 |
| 35 - 39 years | 1.297 | 34,3 | 1.245 | 35,2 | 1.318 | 33,7 |
| 40 or older | 426 | 11,3 | 388 | 11,0 | 445 | 11,4 |
| | | | | | | |
| Marital status of the mother | | | | | | |
| Married | 1.952 | 51,6 | 1.841 | 52,0 | 2.067 | 52,8 |
| Not married | 1.831 | 48,4 | 1.698 | 48,0 | 1.847 | 47,2 |
| | | | | | | |
| Nationality of the mother | | | | | | |
| Spanish | 2.754 | 72,8 | 2.616 | 73,9 | 2.824 | 72,2 |
| Foreign | 1.029 | 27,2 | 923 | 26,1 | 1.090 | 27,8 |
| | | | | | | |
| Order of birth | | | | | | |
| First | 1.860 | 49,2 | 1.716 | 48,5 | 1.987 | 50,8 |
| Second | 1.411 | 37,3 | 1.354 | 38,3 | 1.410 | 36,0 |
| Third or more | 512 | 13,5 | 469 | 13,3 | 517 | 13,2 |
(1)The data for the current and previous quarters are provisional
Date Februay 7, 2022
Source: Eustat Birth statistics
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