People taste coffee during the 2025 Helsinki Coffee Festival in Helsinki, Finland, April 26, 2025. (Photo by Matti Matikainen/Xinhua)
Helsinki: Finland's total fertility rate fell to 1.25 in 2024, the lowest since records began in 1776, Statistics Finland announced on Tuesday.
A total of 43,720 babies were born last year, marking a historic low in birth numbers and continuing a long-term downward trend.
The total fertility rate, defined as the average number of children born per woman, now stands far below the replacement level of 2.1, which is generally considered necessary to maintain population levels without immigration, according to the European Commission.
Statistics Finland noted that the decline is widespread, affecting even municipalities that have historically had higher birth rates. This trend has been evident since around 2010 and is particularly pronounced in larger cities.
The data also revealed that parents are continuing to have children later in life. In 2024, the average age of mothers rose to 31.9 years, while the average age of fathers increased to 34.2 years. This gradual rise in parental age has been ongoing since the 1990s.
Despite a range of government measures, including pregnancy allowances, parental and child benefits, and legal protections for working mothers, efforts to reverse the fertility decline have yet to show significant results.
In light of the continued drop, a government-commissioned working group submitted a memorandum titled "Measures to Boost the Birth Rate and Support People to Have Children" in March 2025. The government is expected to announce new policy decisions later this spring.
