Press Release 06/05/2024
BIRTH STATISTICS. IV/2023
Births in the Basque Country fell by 0.1% in the fourth quarter of 2023
During 2023 there was a 1.6% decrease in the number of births
In the fourth quarter of 2023 the number of births in the Basque Country stood at 3,465, 0.1% down on the same period of the previous year, according to Eustat data. It should be noted that the sharpest fall was in Bizkaia, with 1,645 births, representing 5.6% fewer than the previous year. However, in Álava and Gipuzkoa the number of births rose, with 593 and 1,227 births respectively, representing an increase of 7% in Álava and 4.5% in Gipuzkoa.
33.5% of women who gave birth in the Basque Country in the fourth quarter of 2023 were of foreign nationality, which is higher than the 30.8% recorded for the same period of 2022. Álava saw a higher percentage which reached 41.9%, followed by Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia with percentages of 33.5% and 30.5%, respectively.
Almost 80% of mothers were over 30 years of age
As regards distribution of births according to age, 33.4% of mothers were aged 35-39, 33.4% of mothers were in the 30-34 age group and the 25-29 age group accounted for 14.7%. The number of mothers over the age of 40 (11.4%) exceeded those under 25 (7.1%).
The age of maternity also varied according to nationality. In fact, the average age of foreign mothers was 30.9 years old, compared to 34.6 for mothers with Spanish nationality.
Unmarried mothers accounted for 51.2% of births
Births outside marriage in the fourth quarter of 2023 accounted for 51.2% of the total, down 0.3 percentage points on the number registered for the same period in 2022.
According to the order of birth, over half (51.4%) of births, or 1,780, were first-borns; 1,228 (35.4%) were born into families that already had a child, and the number of third and subsequent children stood at 457 (13.2%).
Balance for 2023
For 2023 as a whole, the provisional birth rate reached 13,421, which is equivalent to a decrease of 215 (-1.6%) compared to data from 2022. This decrease occurred in Bizkaia and Álava; there was a 3.1% drop in Bizkaia (214 fewer births); in Álava it was 2.3% (53 fewer births); and in Gipuzkoa there was an increase of 1.2% (52 more 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). 2023/IV
| | Current quarter (IV/2023) | Previous quarter (IV/2023) | Same quarter of previous year (IV/2023) |
| | NO. | % | NO. | % | Increase | NO. | % | Increase |
| Basque Country | 3.465 | 100,0 | 3.547 | 100,0 | -2,3 | 3.470 | 100,0 | -0,1 |
| Araba / Álava | 593 | 17,1 | 571 | 16,1 | 3,9 | 554 | 16,0 | 7,0 |
| Bizkaia | 1.645 | 47,5 | 1.801 | 50,8 | -8,7 | 1.742 | 50,2 | -5,6 |
| Gipuzkoa | 1.227 | 35,4 | 1.175 | 33,1 | 4,4 | 1.174 | 33,8 | 4,5 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Sex | | | | | | | | |
| Boys | 1.807 | 52,2 | 1.805 | 50,9 | 0,1 | 1.781 | 51,3 | 1,5 |
| Girls | 1.658 | 47,8 | 1.742 | 49,1 | -4,8 | 1.689 | 48,7 | -1,8 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| AGE OF THE MOTHER | | | | | | | | |
| <= 24 years | 247 | 7,1 | 249 | 7,0 | -0,8 | 257 | 7,4 | -3,9 |
| 25 - 29 years | 508 | 14,7 | 476 | 13,4 | 6,7 | 460 | 13,3 | 10,4 |
| 30 - 34 years | 1.157 | 33,4 | 1.278 | 36,0 | -9,5 | 1.136 | 32,7 | 1,8 |
| 35 - 39 years | 1.159 | 33,4 | 1.160 | 32,7 | -0,1 | 1.175 | 33,9 | -1,4 |
| >= 40 years | 394 | 11,4 | 384 | 10,8 | 2,6 | 442 | 12,7 | -10,9 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Marital status of the mother | | | | | | | | |
| Married | 1.690 | 48,8 | 1.770 | 49,9 | -4,5 | 1.683 | 48,5 | 0,4 |
| Not married | 1.775 | 51,2 | 1.777 | 50,1 | -0,1 | 1.787 | 51,5 | -0,7 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Nationality of the mother | | | | | | | | |
| Spanish | 2.303 | 66,5 | 2.425 | 68,4 | -5,0 | 2.402 | 69,2 | -4,1 |
| Foreign | 1.162 | 33,5 | 1.122 | 31,6 | 3,6 | 1.068 | 30,8 | 8,8 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Order of birth | | | | | | | | |
| First | 1.780 | 51,4 | 1.829 | 51,6 | -2,7 | 1.750 | 50,4 | 1,7 |
| Second | 1.228 | 35,4 | 1.214 | 34,2 | 1,2 | 1.238 | 35,7 | -0,8 |
| Third or more | 457 | 13,2 | 504 | 14,2 | -9,3 | 482 | 13,9 | -5,2 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Month of birth | | | | | | | | |
| October | 1.251 | 36,1 | | | | 1.162 | 33,5 | 7,7 |
| November | 1.107 | 31,9 | | | | 1.169 | 33,7 | -5,3 |
| December | 1.107 | 31,9 | | | | 1.139 | 32,8 | -2,8 |
(1)The data for the current quarter is provisional. The variations are over the current quarter
Date May 6, 2024
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