Press Release 11/11/2024
BIRTH STATISTICS. II/2024
Births were down 2.2% in the second quarter of 2024 in the Basque Country
In 11% of births the mothers were over 40 years of age
In the second quarter of 2024 the number of births in the Basque Country stood at 3,197, 2.2% down on the same period of the previous year (72 fewer births), according to Eustat data, the cumulative annual decrease being 0.8%. By province, the biggest decrease occurred in Álava, down 7%. There was a 4.6% drop in Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa recorded a 3.7% increase. Specifically, 1,530 boys and girls were born in Bizkaia, 1,147 in Gipuzkoa and 520 in Álava.
By months, the highest number of births was recorded in May, with 1,113 (34.8%), followed by June, with 1,064 (33.3%); 1,020 (31.9%) children were born in April. Comparing the monthly data with the previous year, the decrease recorded in June (-6.5%) is particularly noteworthy.
According to the age of the mother, the group of mothers aged 30-34 moved into first position, producing 34.6% of births. This was followed by mothers aged 35-39, at 33.5%. It is worth mentioning that the number of women who became mothers aged between 25 and 29 was 13.8%, a higher value than the 10.7% of women over 40.
Unmarried mothers accounted for 50% of births
Births outside marriage accounted for 50% of the total, higher than the 49.8% registered in the same quarter of 2023. Álava and Bizkaia posted higher figures than the Basque Country as a whole, 52.9% and 51.8% respectively, whereas in Gipuzkoa this percentage was lower at 46.4%. It is significant that among single mothers, there is a higher percentage of mothers under 25 years old (11.4%), a percentage representing 7.5% of the total number of mothers.
According to the order of birth, in the second quarter of 2024, almost half, 1,584, were first children, 2.5% more than the same quarter of 2023; 1,184 children (37%) arrived in families that already had another son or daughter. There were 429 third or subsequent births, 13.4% of the total number of births, 10.6% less than the same quarter of 2023.
Babies born to foreign national mothers accounted for 32.5%
In 32.5% of births in the Basque Country during the spring months of 2024, the mother was a foreign national. This percentage was 32.4% in the same period of 2023. By province, this figure reached 42.5% in Álava, 32.7% in Bizkaia and 27.7% in Gipuzkoa.
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). 2024/II
| | Current quarter (II/2024) | Previous quarter (I/2024) | Same quarter of previous year (II/2023) |
| | NO. | % | NO. | % | Increase | NO. | % | Increase |
| Basque Country | 3.197 | 100,0 | 3.165 | 100,0 | 1,0 | 3.269 | 100,0 | -2,2 |
| Araba / Álava | 520 | 16,3 | 502 | 15,9 | 3,6 | 559 | 17,1 | -7,0 |
| Bizkaia | 1.530 | 47,9 | 1.538 | 48,6 | -0,5 | 1.604 | 49,1 | -4,6 |
| Gipuzkoa | 1.147 | 35,9 | 1.125 | 35,5 | 2,0 | 1.106 | 33,8 | 3,7 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Sex | | | | | | | | |
| Boys | 1.633 | 51,1 | 1.605 | 50,7 | 1,7 | 1.661 | 50,8 | -1,7 |
| Girls | 1.564 | 48,9 | 1.560 | 49,3 | 0,3 | 1.608 | 49,2 | -2,7 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| AGE OF THE MOTHER | | | | | | | | |
| = 24 years | 240 | 7,5 | 213 | 6,7 | 12,7 | 230 | 7,0 | 4,3 |
| 25 - 29 years | 440 | 13,8 | 423 | 13,4 | 4,0 | 466 | 14,3 | -5,6 |
| 30 - 34 years | 1.106 | 34,6 | 1.088 | 34,4 | 1,7 | 1.155 | 35,3 | -4,2 |
| 35 - 39 years | 1.070 | 33,5 | 1.086 | 34,3 | -1,5 | 1.067 | 32,6 | 0,3 |
| = 40 years | 341 | 10,7 | 355 | 11,2 | -3,9 | 351 | 10,7 | -2,8 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Marital status of the mother | | | | | | | | |
| Married | 1.598 | 50,0 | 1.594 | 50,4 | 0,3 | 1.642 | 50,2 | -2,7 |
| Not married | 1.599 | 50,0 | 1.571 | 49,6 | 1,8 | 1.627 | 49,8 | -1,7 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Nationality of the mother | | | | | | | | |
| Spanish | 2.158 | 67,5 | 2.110 | 66,7 | 2,3 | 2.211 | 67,6 | -2,4 |
| Foreign | 1.039 | 32,5 | 1.055 | 33,3 | -1,5 | 1.058 | 32,4 | -1,8 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Order of birth | | | | | | | | |
| First | 1.584 | 49,5 | 1.569 | 49,6 | 1,0 | 1.545 | 47,3 | 2,5 |
| Second | 1.184 | 37,0 | 1.167 | 36,9 | 1,5 | 1.244 | 38,1 | -4,8 |
| Third or more | 429 | 13,4 | 429 | 13,6 | 0,0 | 480 | 14,7 | -10,6 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Month of birth | | | | | | | | |
| April | 1.020 | 31,9 | | | | 1.022 | 31,3 | -0,2 |
| May | 1.113 | 34,8 | | | | 1.109 | 33,9 | 0,4 |
| June | 1.064 | 33,3 | | | | 1.138 | 34,8 | -6,5 |
(1)The data for the current and previous quarters are provisional. The variations are over the current quarter
Date November 11, 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