In 2024, 3.55 million babies were born in the EU, a 3.3% decrease from the 3.67 million in 2023.
The total fertility rate for 2024 was 1.34 live births per woman in the EU, down from 1.38 in 2023. This is the lowest rate since 2001, the first year for which the EU value is available.
In 2024, Bulgaria recorded the highest total fertility rate in the EU with 1.72 live births per woman, followed by France with 1.61 and Slovenia with 1.52. By contrast, Malta had the lowest fertility rate at 1.01 live births per woman, together with Spain at 1.10 and Lithuania at 1.11.
Eurostat emphasises that the decline in birth and fertility rates has been ongoing for many years and is one of the greatest demographic challenges for the European Union.
