France boasts the highest birth rate in the EU at 2 live children per woman. While this is hardly the post-war baby boom, the government nevertheless unblocked an additional €50m for additional crèche spaces in 2008 while reiterating its electoral promise of a net addition of 350,000 child-minding places (crèches and Kindergartens) before the end of its first term in 2012.
Country
No. of live born children per woman in 2006
France
2
Ireland
1.93
Sweden
1.85
United Kingdom
1.84
Netherlands
1.7
Spain
1.38
Italy
1.35
Portugal
1.35
Germany
1.32
Poland
1.27
Source: Eurostat (2006 latest confirmed figures)
Last year the French birth rate dropped a fraction to 1.98 but the preliminary figures for 2008 show it back at the 2 level. In contrast, the birth rate in Germany and Spain increased last year, reflecting the measures introduced by their respective governments over the past few years to encourage couples to have more children. The German birth rate rose from 1.32 in 2006 to 1.37 last year. For the first time, the former East Germany had the same rate as the rest of Germany. The Spanish birth rate continued to climb slowly but steadily from its historic low in 1998 of 1.16, to reach 1.39 in 2007. A significant part of this increase is due to non-Spanish residents who, although they make up just 10% of the population, account for 20% of live births.
France is now the second most populous country in Europe after Germany, with a registered population at Jan 2007 of 63.4million. Indeed, Eurostat notes that if current trends persist, the population of France will exceed that of Germany by 2050. The increased population size has not, however, had a significant impact on the age triangle: under-20 year olds make up 25% of the population (versus 26.7% in 1994) while the over-60s now account for 16.2% (15% in 1994). Longevity plays a key role, notably as French women enjoy the second longest lifespan in the world, after Japan, with an average age of 84.5.
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France boasts the highest birth rate in the EU at 2 live children per woman. While this is hardly the post-war baby boom, the government nevertheless unblocked an additional €50m for additional crèche spaces in 2008 while reiterating its electoral promise of a net addition of 350,000 child-minding places (crèches and Kindergartens) before the end of its first term in 2012.