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France joins list of countries where birth rates are declining
France’s population is older than ever, and its citizens are having fewer children. Just 678,000 babies were born in the country last year, the lowest number since 1946. The decline is primarily due to women having fewer children or none at all, according to Ined, France’s National Institute of Demographic Studies. The nation’s population still increased slightly last year, thanks to migration and a record high life expectancy of 85.7.
These trends are not unique to France — births are declining globally. In 2000, the world’s fertility rate stood at 2.7 births per woman. The “replacement rate,” at which a population is stable, is 2.1. As of 2023, the rate was 2.3 — and falling.
China announced this week that its population dropped again last year, the second time in a row, with its birth rate hitting a new low and death rate reaching the highest level since 1974. Over the last several years, nations including China, South Korea, Japan, Germany, and Russia have tried to address lagging birth rates by offering incentives for having children.
Correction: An earlier version of this story had the incorrect number of babies born in France in 2023. The number is 678,000.
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