Press Release 05/05/2025
BIRTH STATISTICS. IV/2024
Births in the Basque Country fell by 7.4% in the fourth quarter of 2024
Throughout 2024 there was a 4.1% drop in the number of births
In the fourth quarter of 2024 the number of births in the Basque Country stood at 3,232, 7.4% down on the same period of the previous year, according to Eustat data. It should be noted that the sharpest fall was in Gipuzkoa with 1,071 births, representing 13.1% fewer than the previous year; in Álava, the number of births was 540, 9.2% fewer, and Bizkaia recorded 1,621 births, 2.5% fewer than the previous year.
29.5% of women who gave birth in the Basque Country in the fourth quarter of 2024 were of foreign nationality, which is higher than the 26.4% recorded for the same period of 2023. Álava saw a higher percentage which reached 39.3%, followed by Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia with percentages of 30.3% and 25.7%, respectively.
77.9% of mothers were over 30 years of age
In regards to the distribution of births according to age, 32.9% of mothers were aged between 30-34, 32.7% of mothers were in the 35-39 age group and the 25-29 age group accounted for 14.5%. The number of mothers over the age of 40 (12.4%) exceeded those under 25 (7.5%).
The age of maternity also varied according to nationality. In fact, the average age of mothers was 33.4 years old; the average age for mothers of foreign nationality was 30.7 years old, compared to 34.5 for mothers with Spanish nationality.
Unmarried mothers accounted for 50.3% of births
Births outside marriage in the fourth quarter of 2024 accounted for 50.3% of the total, down 1.1 percentage points on the number registered for the same period in 2023.
According to the order of birth, over half (50.7%) of births, or 1,640, were first-borns; 1,144 (35.4%) were born into families that already had a child, and the number of third and subsequent children stood at 448 (13.9%).
Balance for 2024
For 2024 as a whole, the provisional live birth rate reached 12,904, which is equivalent to a decrease of 549 (-4.1%) compared to data from 2023. This decrease occurred in all three provinces: there was a 5.5% decrease in Álava (121 fewer births); a 4.2% decrease in Bizkaia (283 fewer births); and a 3.2% decrease in Gipuzkoa (145 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). 2024/IV
| | This quarter (2024/IV) | Previous quarter (III/2024) | Same quarter as the previous year (2023/IV) |
| | NO. | % | NO. | % | Increase | NO. | % | Increase |
| Basque Country | 3.232 | 100,0 | 3.286 | 100,0 | -1,6 | 3.491 | 100,0 | -7,4 |
| Araba / Álava | 540 | 16,7 | 530 | 16,1 | 1,9 | 595 | 17,0 | -9,2 |
| Bizkaia | 1.621 | 50,2 | 1.687 | 51,3 | -3,9 | 1.663 | 47,6 | -2,5 |
| Gipuzkoa | 1.071 | 33,1 | 1.069 | 32,5 | 0,2 | 1.233 | 35,3 | -13,1 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Sex | | | | | | | | |
| Boys | 1.630 | 50,4 | 1.689 | 51,4 | -3,5 | 1.824 | 52,2 | -10,6 |
| Girls | 1.602 | 49,6 | 1.597 | 48,6 | 0,3 | 1.667 | 47,8 | -3,9 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| AGE OF THE MOTHER | | | | | | | | |
| = 24 years | 243 | 7,5 | 230 | 7,0 | 5,7 | 253 | 7,2 | -4,0 |
| 25 - 29 years | 470 | 14,5 | 444 | 13,5 | 5,9 | 511 | 14,6 | -8,0 |
| 30 - 34 years | 1.063 | 32,9 | 1.162 | 35,4 | -8,5 | 1.165 | 33,4 | -8,8 |
| 35 - 39 years | 1.056 | 32,7 | 1.099 | 33,4 | -3,9 | 1.166 | 33,4 | -9,4 |
| = 40 years | 400 | 12,4 | 351 | 10,7 | 14,0 | 396 | 11,3 | 1,0 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Marital status of the mother | | | | | | | | |
| Married | 1.606 | 49,7 | 1.579 | 48,1 | 1,7 | 1.698 | 48,6 | -5,4 |
| Not married | 1.626 | 50,3 | 1.707 | 51,9 | -4,7 | 1.793 | 51,4 | -9,3 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Nationality of the mother | | | | | | | | |
| Spanish | 2.280 | 70,5 | 2.445 | 74,4 | -6,7 | 2.570 | 73,6 | -11,3 |
| Foreign | 952 | 29,5 | 841 | 25,6 | 13,2 | 921 | 26,4 | 3,4 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| The country where the mother was born | | | | | | | | |
| Spain | 2.018 | 62,4 | 2.135 | 65,0 | -5,5 | 2.318 | 66,4 | -12,9 |
| Other | 1.214 | 37,6 | 1.151 | 35,0 | 5,5 | 1.173 | 33,6 | 3,5 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Order of birth | | | | | | | | |
| First | 1.640 | 50,7 | 1.699 | 51,7 | -3,5 | 1.793 | 51,4 | -8,5 |
| Second | 1.144 | 35,4 | 1.177 | 35,8 | -2,8 | 1.235 | 35,4 | -7,4 |
| Third or more | 448 | 13,9 | 410 | 12,5 | 9,3 | 463 | 13,3 | -3,2 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Month of birth | | | | | | | | |
| October | 1.148 | 35,5 | | | | 1.256 | 36,0 | -8,6 |
| November | 1.048 | 32,4 | | | | 1.118 | 32,0 | -6,3 |
| December | 1.036 | 32,1 | | | | 1.117 | 32,0 | -7,3 |
(1)The data for the current quarter is provisional. The variations are over the current quarter
Date May 5, 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