Press Release 12/09/2022
BIRTH STATISTICS. I/2022
Births were down 1.1% in the first quarter of 2022 in the Basque Country
In 12.6% of births the mothers were over 40 years of age
In the first quarter of 2022 the number of births in the Basque Country stood at 3,287, which was a drop of 1.1% compared to the same quarter of the previous year, according to Eustat data. The number of births fell by 8.8% in Gipuzkoa and 2% in Álava. On the other hand, they rose by 4.6% in Bizkaia. Specifically, 1,691 children were born in Bizkaia, 1,053 were born in Gipuzkoa and 543 in Álava.
By months, the highest number of births was recorded in January, with 1,123 (34.2%), followed by March, with 1,110 (33.8%) and February, with 1,054 (32.1%).
According to the age of the mother, the group of mothers aged 35-39 moved into first position, producing 35.5% of births. This was followed by mothers aged 30-34, at 32.9%. It was notable that the number of women who became mothers aged 40 or over accounted for 12.6% of the total, a value higher than the 11.8% of births among mothers aged 25-29. The age of maternity for single mothers was lower than that for women who had children as a whole, with a notable 10.5% of single mothers being under 25 (this percentage is 7.3% among all mothers).
Births outside marriage accounted for 52.7% of the total, a figure higher than that for the first quarter of 2021 (49%). Bizkaia and Álava posted higher figures than the Basque Country as a whole, at 53.6% and 53.2%, respectively, whereas in Gipuzkoa this percentage was lower, at 51%.
According to the order of birth, in the first quarter of 2022 49.5% of births, 1,627 children were first-born, 1,239 (37.7%) arrived in families that already had another child, and the percentage of third or subsequent children stood at 12.8%, 0.3 points up on the same quarter of 2021.
The percentage of mothers with foreign nationality increased
In 28.4% of births in the Basque Country during the first three months of 2022, the mother was a foreign national, a rise of 2.6 percentage points compared to the first quarter of 2021. In Álava the proportion of mothers with foreign nationality stood at 36.6%, compared to 28.5% in Gipuzkoa and 25.8% in Bizkaia.
Live births in the Basque Country by historical territory of residence, sex, age, marital status and nationality of the mother, order and month of birth (1). 2022/I
| | Current quarter (I/2022) | Previous quarter (IV/2021) | Same quarter of the previous year (I/2021) |
| | NO. | % | NO. | % | Increase | NO. | % | Increase |
| Basque Country | 3.287 | 100 | 3.599 | 100 | -8,7 | 3.324 | 100 | -1,1 |
| Araba / Álava | 543 | 16,5 | 632 | 17,6 | -14,1 | 554 | 16,7 | -2,0 |
| Bizkaia | 1.691 | 51,4 | 1.733 | 48,2 | -2,4 | 1.616 | 48,6 | 4,6 |
| Gipuzkoa | 1.053 | 32,0 | 1.234 | 34,3 | -14,7 | 1.154 | 34,7 | -8,8 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Sex | | | | | | | | |
| Boys | 1.675 | 51,0 | 1.886 | 52,4 | -11,2 | 1.775 | 53,4 | -5,6 |
| Girls | 1.612 | 49,0 | 1.713 | 47,6 | -5,9 | 1.549 | 46,6 | 4,1 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| AGE OF THE MOTHER | | | | | | | | |
| 24 years or less | 239 | 7,3 | 212 | 5,9 | 12,7 | 195 | 5,9 | 22,6 |
| 25 - 29 years | 387 | 11,8 | 503 | 14,0 | -23,1 | 446 | 13,4 | -13,2 |
| 30 - 34 years | 1.080 | 32,9 | 1.233 | 34,3 | -12,4 | 1.206 | 36,3 | -10,4 |
| 35 - 39 years | 1.166 | 35,5 | 1.226 | 34,1 | -4,9 | 1.151 | 34,6 | 1,3 |
| 40 or older | 415 | 12,6 | 425 | 11,8 | -2,4 | 326 | 9,8 | 27,3 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Marital status of the mother | | | | | | | | |
| Married | 1.554 | 47,3 | 1.791 | 49,8 | -13,2 | 1.695 | 51,0 | -8,3 |
| Not married | 1.733 | 52,7 | 1.808 | 50,2 | -4,1 | 1.629 | 49,0 | 6,4 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Nationality of the mother | | | | | | | | |
| Spanish | 2.352 | 71,6 | 2.530 | 70,3 | -7,0 | 2.466 | 74,2 | -4,6 |
| Foreign | 935 | 28,4 | 1.069 | 29,7 | -12,5 | 858 | 25,8 | 9,0 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Order of birth | | | | | | | | |
| First | 1.627 | 49,5 | 1.785 | 49,6 | -8,9 | 1.612 | 48,5 | 0,9 |
| Second | 1.239 | 37,7 | 1.298 | 36,1 | -4,5 | 1.297 | 39,0 | -4,5 |
| Third or more | 421 | 12,8 | 516 | 14,3 | -18,4 | 415 | 12,5 | 1,4 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Month of birth | | | | | | | | |
| January | 1.131 | 34,4 | | | | 1.033 | 31,1 | 9,5 |
| February | 1.056 | 32,1 | | | | 1.067 | 32,1 | -1,0 |
| March | 1.114 | 33,9 | | | | 1.237 | 37,2 | -9,9 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| (1)The data for the current quarter is provisional. The variations are over the current quarter | | | |
Date September 12, 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