Malta amongst countries with lowest fertility rates in EU

Malta was amongst countries with the lowest fertility rates in European Union in 2016.

Data published by Eurostat shows that while the total fertility rate in the EU stood at 1.6 births per woman in 2016, Malta was amongst countries with the lowest fertility rates, standing at 1.37.

Other countries with low fertility rates included Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Greece and Poland. On the other hand, France and Sweden experienced the highest fertility rates.

In 2016, a total of 4,476 children were born in Malta, with 2,381 being first-born children.  Across the EU, 5.148 million births were recorded, compared with 5.103 million in 2015.

Women in Malta and around the EU have their first child on average at 29. Across Member States, first time mothers were on average the youngest in Bulgaria and the oldest in Italy.

Out of the total number of children born in Malta, 2,381 were first-born children. Second-born children accounted to 33.6% of children born in Malta in 2016, 9.1% were third-born children, and 4.1% were the fourth or subsequent children.

Only 5.6% of first-time mothers in Malta were under 20-years-old. In contrast, only 2.1% of the mothers were 40 years or over.

In the EU, more than 80% of births were first and second children, while births of third children accounted for 12.2% of the total and fourth or subsequent children accounted for 5.9% in 2016.

Across the EU Member States, the highest share of mothers having their fourth or subsequent children was recorded in Finland, followed by Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Slovakia.

The highest shares of births to teenage mothers were recorded in Romania (14.2%), Bulgaria and Hungary, while the lowest shares were observed in Slovenia(1.6%), the Netherlands, and Denmark.