The Baby Drought: Europe's Fertility Emergency

The average age at which women have their first child in the European Union (EU) has been increasing over the past decade. In 2022, the average age was 29.7 years, compared to 28.8 years in 2013. The Netherlands had an average age of 30.3 years, higher than the EU average, but there were six other EU countries where women had their first child at an even older age. Italy and Spain had the highest average age for first-time mothers. The total fertility rate in the EU has been declining, with Dutch women having 1.49 children on average in 2022, compared to 1.76 in 2011. However, the Netherlands' fertility rate was slightly higher than the EU average in 2022. The total number of children born in the EU has also decreased, with 3.8 million births in 2022 compared to 4.1 million in the previous year. Research suggests that if women who delay motherhood do have children in the future, both the birth rate and total fertility rate may increase again.