In the first half (H1) of 2023, Finland experienced an unprecedented decline in its birth rate, with only 21,180 babies being born during this period, according to the country’s statistics office.
Statistics Finland reported that this new figure represents a decrease of 1,082 births compared to the previous year, making it the lowest number of births recorded since 1900 when live birth registration began, as per Xinhua news agency.
Finland’s fertility rate has been on a steady decline since the 2010s when it was at 1.87. While there were temporary increases in live births during the years 2020 and 2021 amid the Covid pandemic, the fertility rate dropped to 1.32 in 2022.
The downward trend in birth rates continued in 2023, with the total preliminary fertility rate for the last 12 months (from July 2022 to June 2023) reaching a record low of 1.28, according to Joonas Toivola, the chief actuary at Statistics Finland.
Despite the declining birth rates, Finland’s population still saw an increase of 14,112 people between January and June 2023, largely due to immigration.
During this period, 28,345 people immigrated to Finland from other countries, while 5,596 people left Finland to settle elsewhere, reversing the negative balance observed in 2022.
The majority of immigrants came from Ukraine, Russia, the Philippines, and India, with Ukrainians constituting the largest group, accounting for 28 percent of the total immigrants.
