Press Release 08/05/2023
BIRTH STATISTICS. IV/2022
Births in the Basque Country decreased by 4.1% in the fourth quarter of 2022
Throughout 2022 there was a 4.5% drop in the number of births
In the fourth quarter of 2022 the number of births in the Basque Country stood at 3,453, 4.1% down on the same period of the previous year, according to Eustat data. Of note is the particularly sharp fall in Álava, which recorded 553 births, representing 12.5% fewer than the previous year. In Gipuzkoa 1,171 babies were born, a decrease of 5.1%, and the number of births was down 0.2% in Bizkaia, with 1,729 children born.
30.6% of women who gave birth in the Basque Country in the fourth quarter of 2022 were of foreign nationality, which is higher than the 29.7% recorded for the same period of 2021. Álava saw a higher percentage, reaching 40.5%, followed by Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia with percentages of 30.1% and 27.9%, respectively.
Almost 80% of mothers were over 30 years of age
As regards distribution of births according to age, 33.9% of mothers were aged 35-39, 32.8% of mothers were in the 30-34 age group and the 25-29 age group accounted for 13.2%. The number of mothers over the age of 40 (12.8%) exceeded those under 25 (7.3%).
The age of maternity also varied according to nationality. In fact, the average age of foreign mothers was 31.1, compared to 34.7 for mothers with Spanish nationality.
Unmarried mothers accounted for 51.5% of births
Births outside marriage in the fourth quarter of 2022 accounted for 51.5% of the total, up 1.3 percentage points on the number registered for the same period in 2021.
According to the order of birth, over half (50.4%) of births, or 1,739, were first-borns; 1,234 (35.7%) were born into families that already had a child, and the number of third and subsequent children stood at 480 (13.9%).
Balance for 2022
For 2022 as a whole, the provisional birth rate reached 13,613, which is equivalent to a decrease of 644 (-4.5%) compared to data from 2021. This decrease occurred in all three provinces: there was an 8.7% decrease in Bizkaia (428 fewer births); in Gipuzkoa it was 4.3% (102 fewer births); and in Álava it was 1.6% (114 fewer births).
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/IV
| | Current quarter (IV/2022) | Previous quarter (III/2022) | Same quarter of the previous year (IV/2021) |
| | NO. | % | NO. | % | Increase | NO. | % | Increase |
| Basque Country | 3.453 | 100,0 | 3.531 | 100,0 | -2,2 | 3.599 | 100,0 | -4,1 |
| Araba / Álava | 553 | 16,0 | 564 | 16,0 | -2,0 | 632 | 17,6 | -12,5 |
| Bizkaia | 1.729 | 50,1 | 1.782 | 50,5 | -3,0 | 1.733 | 48,2 | -0,2 |
| Gipuzkoa | 1.171 | 33,9 | 1.185 | 33,6 | -1,2 | 1.234 | 34,3 | -5,1 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Sex | | | | | | | | |
| Boys | 1.773 | 51,3 | 1.829 | 51,8 | -3,1 | 1.886 | 52,4 | -6,0 |
| Girls | 1.680 | 48,7 | 1.702 | 48,2 | -1,3 | 1.713 | 47,6 | -1,9 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| AGE OF THE MOTHER | | | | | | | | |
| = 24 years | 253 | 7,3 | 243 | 6,9 | 4,1 | 212 | 5,9 | 19,3 |
| 25 - 29 years | 456 | 13,2 | 457 | 12,9 | -0,2 | 503 | 14,0 | -9,3 |
| 30 - 34 years | 1.131 | 32,8 | 1.231 | 34,9 | -8,1 | 1.233 | 34,3 | -8,3 |
| 35 - 39 years | 1.172 | 33,9 | 1.233 | 34,9 | -4,9 | 1.226 | 34,1 | -4,4 |
| = 40 years | 441 | 12,8 | 367 | 10,4 | 20,2 | 425 | 11,8 | 3,8 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Marital status of the mother | | | | | | | | |
| Married | 1.674 | 48,5 | 1.783 | 50,5 | -6,1 | 1.791 | 49,8 | -6,5 |
| Not married | 1.779 | 51,5 | 1.748 | 49,5 | 1,8 | 1.808 | 50,2 | -1,6 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Nationality of the mother | | | | | | | | |
| Spanish | 2.395 | 69,4 | 2.434 | 68,9 | -1,6 | 2.530 | 70,3 | -5,3 |
| Foreign | 1.058 | 30,6 | 1.097 | 31,1 | -3,6 | 1.069 | 29,7 | -1,0 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Order of birth | | | | | | | | |
| First | 1.739 | 50,4 | 1.731 | 49,0 | 0,5 | 1.785 | 49,6 | -2,6 |
| Second | 1.234 | 35,7 | 1.314 | 37,2 | -6,1 | 1.298 | 36,1 | -4,9 |
| Third or more | 480 | 13,9 | 486 | 13,8 | -1,2 | 516 | 14,3 | -7,0 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Month of birth | | | | | | | | |
| July | 1.161 | 33,6 | | | | 1.253 | 34,8 | -7,3 |
| August | 1.166 | 33,8 | | | | 1.190 | 33,1 | -2,0 |
| September | 1.126 | 32,6 | | | | 1.156 | 32,1 | -2,6 |
(1)The data for the current and previous quarters are provisional. The variations are over the current quarter
Date May 8, 2023
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.es Tel.: 945 01 75 62