The birth rate continues to fall in France. According to INSEE, 663,000 births were recorded in 2024, a drop of 2.2% compared to 2023, and a fertility rate at its lowest level in a century. The mayor of the town of Gouesnach, in Finistère, wants to remedy this locally.
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– The fertility indicator in France stood at 1.62 children per woman in 2024.
Despite the call for “demographic rearmament” launched by Emmanuel Macron, the birth rate continues to decline in France. INSEE revealed that the number of births fell by 2.2% in 2024 compared to 2023, reaching its lowest level since the First World War. A trend which can be explained by profound societal changes and persistent inequality between men and women.
-The fertility indicator in France stood at 1.62 children per woman in 2024compared to around 2 children per woman between 2000 and 2012. A significant drop which marks the end of the French demographic exception. The mayor of Gouesnach, in Finistère, Jean-Pierre Marc deplored the lack of newborns. “Six fewer births: that’s not going well at all. We have to get back together”he said, Saturday January 18, during the greeting ceremony, reports Ouest-France. In order to remedy the birth rate problem, the Breton municipal team decided to offer a gold ingot as a birth gift. Previously, the mayor gave a blanket.
Birth rate in France: definition and number of births in 2023
A decline in the continental birth rate
This drop in the birth rate is part of a broader trend in Europe, where countries’ fertility tends to align around 1.5 children per woman. The decline in the birth rate is also linked to the evolution of social roles and the question of gender equality. Historically, France has been able to reconcile family and professional life by allowing women to work while having children. But the situation has changed. The problems could appear in around twenty years, when these smaller generations arrive on the job market, with a potential impact on the financing of pensions and health.
