Births in France in 2023 lowest since World War II. Here's why

Additionally, fewer deaths over the same period translated into a 0.3-percent increase in the overall French population.

Published on: Jan 16, 2024, 21:08:38 IST

By HT News Desk

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Births in France fell to their lowest annual number since World War II in 2023, the national statistics bureau INSEE said. Around 678,000 babies were born in 2023, data showed, marking a drop of 6.6 percent from the previous year and the lowest number for any year since 1946. This means that the average birth rate was 1.68 children for each woman against 1.79 in 2022.

View of the Eiffel tower as the sun sets on a winter day in Paris, France. (Reuters)

Additionally, fewer deaths over the same period translated into a 0.3-percent increase in the overall French population. France now has a population of 68.4 million on January 1, as per data which also showed that 631,000 people died in France in 2023, a fall of 6.5 percent from the previous year. In 2022, Covid-19 and heatwaves had led to a higher than usual mortality rate.

Migration added 183,000 people to the overall population last year, INSEE said, adding that the life expectancy for people in France rose to a new record- at 85.7 years for women and 80 for men.

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