Press Release 03/02/2025
BIRTH STATISTICS. III/2024
Births were down 7.7% in the third quarter of 2024 in the Basque Country
Babies born to unmarried mothers accounted for 51.9%
In the third quarter of 2024 the number of births in the Basque Country stood at 3,277, 7.7% down on the same period of the previous year (3,549 fewer births), according to Eustat data, the cumulative annual decrease being 3%. There were decreases in all three provinces, with the most pronounced in Gipuzkoa (-9.4%), followed by Álava (-7.2%) and Bizkaia (-6.7%). In absolute figures, 1,683 girls and boys were born in Bizkaia, 1,064 in Gipuzkoa and 530 in Álava.
During the summer months of 2024, births outside marriage accounted for 51.9% of the total, higher than the 50.1% recorded in the same quarter of 2023. This percentage was 54.4% in Bizkaia, 51.5% in Álava and 48.2% in Gipuzkoa.
According to birth order, in the third quarter of 2024 more than half (1,694) were first children; 1,175 girls and boys (35.9%) arrived in families that already had another child, and the percentage of third or subsequent children reached 12.4%; in the same period of 2023 this percentage was 14.2%.
The percentage of mothers over 40 was 10.7%
Regarding the distribution of births according to age, the group of mothers between the ages of 30-39 continued to be the majority, producing 68.9% of births. With percentages significantly lower than the previous group was the 25-29 age group (13.5%) and the under-25s (6.9%), while the group of mothers over 40 reached 10.7%. It is significant that among single mothers, there is a higher percentage of mothers under 25 years old (10.2%).
There were more mothers with foreign nationality
During July, August and September 2024, the mother was a foreign national in 34.8% of births in the Basque Country. This percentage was 31.6% in the same period of 2023. By province, this figure reached 45.6% in Álava, 33.6% in Bizkaia and 31.2% 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/III
| | Current quarter (III/2024) | Previous quarter (II/2024) | Same quarter of previous year (III/2023) |
| | NO. | % | NO. | % | Increase | NO. | % | Increase |
| Basque Country | 3.277 | 100,0 | 3.208 | 100,0 | 2,2 | 3.549 | 100,0 | -7,7 |
| Araba / Álava | 530 | 16,2 | 521 | 16,2 | 1,7 | 571 | 16,1 | -7,2 |
| Bizkaia | 1.683 | 51,3 | 1.536 | 47,9 | 9,6 | 1.803 | 50,8 | -6,7 |
| Gipuzkoa | 1.064 | 32,5 | 1.151 | 35,9 | -7,6 | 1.175 | 33,1 | -9,4 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Sex | | | | | | | | |
| Boys | 1.686 | 51,4 | 1.638 | 51,1 | 2,9 | 1.807 | 50,9 | -6,7 |
| Girls | 1.591 | 48,6 | 1.570 | 48,9 | 1,3 | 1.742 | 49,1 | -8,7 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| AGE OF THE MOTHER | | | | | | | | |
| = 24 years | 228 | 6,9 | 243 | 7,6 | -6,2 | 250 | 7,0 | -8,8 |
| 25 - 29 years | 442 | 13,5 | 444 | 13,8 | -0,5 | 476 | 13,4 | -7,1 |
| 30 - 34 years | 1.160 | 35,4 | 1.107 | 34,5 | 4,8 | 1.278 | 36,0 | -9,2 |
| 35 - 39 years | 1.097 | 33,5 | 1.072 | 33,4 | 2,3 | 1.161 | 32,7 | -5,5 |
| = 40 years | 350 | 10,7 | 342 | 10,7 | 2,3 | 384 | 10,8 | -8,9 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Marital status of the mother | | | | | | | | |
| Married | 1.575 | 48,1 | 1.601 | 49,9 | -1,6 | 1.770 | 49,9 | -11,0 |
| Not married | 1.702 | 51,9 | 1.607 | 50,1 | 5,9 | 1.779 | 50,1 | -4,3 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Nationality of the mother | | | | | | | | |
| Spanish | 2.138 | 65,2 | 2.164 | 67,5 | -1,2 | 2.426 | 68,4 | -11,9 |
| Foreign | 1.139 | 34,8 | 1.044 | 32,5 | 9,1 | 1.123 | 31,6 | 1,4 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Order of birth | | | | | | | | |
| First | 1.694 | 51,7 | 1.585 | 49,4 | 6,9 | 1.831 | 51,6 | -7,5 |
| Second | 1.175 | 35,9 | 1.189 | 37,1 | -1,2 | 1.214 | 34,2 | -3,2 |
| Third or more | 408 | 12,4 | 434 | 13,5 | -6,0 | 504 | 14,2 | -19,0 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Month of birth | | | | | | | | |
| July | 1.091 | 33,3 | | | | 1.207 | 34,0 | -9,6 |
| August | 1.078 | 32,9 | | | | 1.161 | 32,7 | -7,1 |
| September | 1.108 | 33,8 | | | | 1.181 | 33,3 | -6,2 |
(1)The data for the current quarter is provisional. The variations are over the current quarter
Date Februay 3, 2025
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