The fertility rate in Malta is slightly below the EU average and continuing to decline, according to data issued today by Eurostat.
It shows that the fertility rate in Malta in 2014 was 1.42, compared to 1.48 in 2001. The EU average in 2014 was 1.58.
A fertility rate of around 2.1 live births per woman is considered to be the replacement level in developed countries, Eurostat said. In other words, that is the average number of live births per woman required to keep the population size constant in the absence of inward or outward migration.
The highest fertility rate was recorded in France and the lowest in Portugal.
France (2.01) was the only member state with a fertility rate above 2.0. It was followed by Ireland (1.94), Sweden (1.88) and the United Kingdom (1.81).
Conversely, the lowest fertility rate wase observed in Portugal (1.23), ahead of Greece (1.30), Cyprus (1.31), Spain and Poland (both 1.32), Italy and Slovakia (both 1.37).
In most member states, the fertility rate rose in 2014 compared with 2001.
The largest increases were observed in Latvia (from 1.22 in 2001 to 1.65 in 2014, or +0.43), the Czech Republic (+0.38), Slovenia (+0.37), Lithuania (+0.34), Bulgaria (+0.32) and Sweden (+0.31). In contrast, the highest decreases were registered in Cyprus (-0.26), Portugal (-0.22) and Luxembourg (-0.16).
For the EU as a whole, the fertility rate increased from 1.46 in 2001 to 1.58 in 2014 (+0.12).
MOTHERS’ AGE
In 2014, the EU’s mean age of women at birth of their first child stood at 28.8. In Malta it was 28.6
In Bulgaria the average age of women at birth of their first child 25.8, Romania 26.1, Latvia 26.3, Estonia 26.6, Poland 26.9, Lithuania and Slovakia both 27.0.
In contrast, this age was 30 or above in Italy (30.7), Spain (30.6), Luxembourg (30.2) and Greece (30.0).
In the EU, 68,552 more babies were born in 2014 than in 2001.
Across member states, the largest relative increases were in Sweden (+25.6%), the Czech Republic and Slovenia (both +21.1%), Ireland (+16.3%) and the United Kingdom (+16.0%).
In contrast, the highest decrease was in Portugal (-27.0%), followed by the Netherlands (-13.5%), Denmark (-13.1%) and Romania (-12.4%).
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