Press Release 11/09/2023
BIRTH STATISTICS. I/2023
Births were down 5.6% in the first quarter of 2023 in the Basque Country
In 12% of births the mothers were aged 40 years or over
In the first quarter of 2023 the number of births in the Basque Country stood at 3,113, which was a drop of 5.6% compared to the same quarter of the previous year, according to Eustat data. The number of births fell by 9.7% in Álava, 6.9% in Bizkaia and 1.3% in Gipuzkoa. Specifically, 1,580 children were born in Bizkaia, 1,042 were born in Gipuzkoa and 491 in Álava.
By months, the highest number of births was recorded in January, with 1,057 (34%), followed by March, with 1,055 (33.9%); in February, 1,001 (32.2%) children were born.
According to the age of the mother, the group of mothers aged 35-39 moved into first position, producing 34.9% of births. This was followed by mothers aged 30-34, at 33.1%. It was notable that in this quarter, the number of women who became mothers aged between 25 and 29 was 13.1%, a value higher than the 12% of mothers aged 40 and over. In the same quarter of the previous year, there was a greater number of women who became mothers aged 40 and over than those between 25 and 29 years old.
The age of maternity for single mothers was lower than that for women who had children as a whole, with a notable 10.1% of single mothers being under 25 (this percentage is 3.3 points higher among all mothers).
Births outside marriage accounted for 50.7% of the total, a figure lower than that for the first quarter of 2022 (52.6%). Bizkaia had higher values than the Basque Country as a whole, 55.4%, while in Álava and Gipuzkoa this percentage was lower, at 49.1% and 44.3% respectively.
According to the order of birth, in the first quarter of 2023 49% of births, 1,525 children, were first-born. 1,177 (37.8%) arrived in families that already had another child, and the percentage of third or subsequent children stood at 13.2%, 0.4 points more than in the same quarter of 2022.
The percentage of mothers with foreign nationality exceeded 30%
In 31.1% of births in the Basque Country during the first three months of 2023, the mother was a foreign national, 2.6 percentage points higher than in the same quarter of 2022. In Álava the proportion of mothers with foreign nationality stood at 40.3%, compared to 29.9% in Gipuzkoa and 28.9% 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). 2023/I
| | Current quarter (I/2023) | Previous quarter (IV/2022) | Mismo trimestre año anterior (I/2022) ## |
| | NO. | % | NO. | % | Increase | NO. | % | Increase |
| Basque Country | 3.113 | 100,0 | 3.470 | 100,0 | -10,3 | 3.298 | 100,0 | -5,6 |
| Araba / Álava | 491 | 15,8 | 554 | 16,0 | -11,4 | 544 | 16,5 | -9,7 |
| Bizkaia | 1.580 | 50,8 | 1.742 | 50,2 | -9,3 | 1.698 | 51,5 | -6,9 |
| Gipuzkoa | 1.042 | 33,5 | 1.174 | 33,8 | -11,2 | 1.056 | 32,0 | -1,3 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Sex | | | | | | | | |
| Boys | 1.587 | 51,0 | 1.781 | 51,3 | -10,9 | 1.681 | 51,0 | -5,6 |
| Girls | 1.526 | 49,0 | 1.689 | 48,7 | -9,7 | 1.617 | 49,0 | -5,6 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| AGE OF THE MOTHER | | | | | | | | |
| = 24 years | 213 | 6,8 | 257 | 7,4 | -17,1 | 241 | 7,3 | -11,6 |
| 25 - 29 years | 409 | 13,1 | 460 | 13,3 | -11,1 | 390 | 11,8 | 4,9 |
| 30 - 34 years | 1.029 | 33,1 | 1.136 | 32,7 | -9,4 | 1.083 | 32,8 | -5,0 |
| 35 - 39 years | 1.087 | 34,9 | 1.175 | 33,9 | -7,5 | 1.168 | 35,4 | -6,9 |
| = 40 years | 375 | 12,0 | 442 | 12,7 | -15,2 | 416 | 12,6 | -9,9 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Marital status of the mother | | | | | | | | |
| Married | 1.534 | 49,3 | 1.683 | 48,5 | -8,9 | 1.562 | 47,4 | -1,8 |
| Not married | 1.579 | 50,7 | 1.787 | 51,5 | -11,6 | 1.736 | 52,6 | -9,0 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Nationality of the mother | | | | | | | | |
| Spanish | 2.146 | 68,9 | 2.402 | 69,2 | -10,7 | 2.357 | 71,5 | -9,0 |
| Foreign | 967 | 31,1 | 1.068 | 30,8 | -9,5 | 941 | 28,5 | 2,8 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Order of birth | | | | | | | | |
| First | 1.525 | 49,0 | 1.750 | 50,4 | -12,9 | 1.632 | 49,5 | -6,6 |
| Second | 1.177 | 37,8 | 1.238 | 35,7 | -4,9 | 1.243 | 37,7 | -5,3 |
| Third or more | 411 | 13,2 | 482 | 13,9 | -14,7 | 423 | 12,8 | -2,8 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Month of birth | | | | | | | | |
| January | 1.057 | 34,0 | | | | 1.128 | 34,2 | -6,3 |
| February | 1.001 | 32,2 | | | | 1.056 | 32,0 | -5,2 |
| March | 1.055 | 33,9 | | | | 1.114 | 33,8 | -5,3 |
(1)The data for the current quarter is provisional. The variations are over the current quarter
Date September 11, 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.eus Tel.: 945 01 75 62