HELSINKI, May 24 (Xinhua) -- The birth rate in Finland declined in 2023 to the lowest level since records began almost 250 years ago, announced the country's statistics agency on Friday.
A total of 43,383 babies were born in Finland last year, representing a fertility rate of 1.26 children per woman, according to Statistics Finland.
"Regional analysis of birth rates interestingly shows (...) the bigger the municipality, the lower the birth rate," said Juhana Nordberg from Statistics Finland on Friday.
The birth rate in Finland has decreased continually in recent years, Nordberg said, with municipalities with a birth rate of more than three children per woman becoming a rarity.
The average age of first-time mothers also rose to 30.3 years, and 32.2 years for fathers, in 2023.
However, life expectancy increased in 2023 to 79 years for boys and 84.2 years for girls, representing an increase of 0.33 years for boys and 0.4 years for girls compared to 2022.
