Europe is grappling with a dramatic and accelerating population decline, sparking concerns about its future economic and social stability. In Spain, the number of births in 2024 hit a historic low, with just 318,005 babies welcomed, the fewest since 1941. The nation’s fertility rate has plummeted to a concerning 1.10 children per woman, significantly below the 2.1 needed for population replacement. This demographic shift is driven by women increasingly prioritizing careers, facing high living costs, and economic uncertainties, leading them to delay marriage and childbirth.
This crisis is not isolated to Spain; Italy and Poland are experiencing similar trends. The consequence is an aging populace with a shrinking workforce, placing immense pressure on economies. Experts warn that if current trajectories persist, some European countries, including Italy, Poland, and Spain, could see their populations halved by the turn of the century. Rural areas are already becoming ghost towns, with unsold properties and young individuals seeking opportunities abroad. This confluence of low birth rates and an expanding elderly population represents a looming demographic crisis.
Spain’s birth figures paint a stark picture, with native births declining sharply. Foreign-born mothers now account for one in three births. The natural population decrease in Spain exceeded 116,000 in the last year alone, as deaths outnumbered births. Over the past decade, native birth rates have fallen by over 25%, and the average age for mothers is now 33.2 years. Despite government initiatives like parental leave and financial incentives, these measures appear insufficient to counteract the deep-seated issues driving this demographic collapse.