Demographics: births should decrease further in 2023

One child, and that’s it. According to all forecasts, births are expected to fall further in 2023: -7% compared to the previous year, according to INSEE. A figure which even stands as a historical record since 1946. Logically, the rate of fertility should also fall to 1.7 children per woman, compared to 1.8 in 2022.

The disappearing model of the large family

Are we moving towards a one-child society? Not quite, already since France remains above the European average, and then because other profiles are now embarking on the adventure of motherhood, notably female couples and single women since the authorization of medically assisted procreation. The large family model, once the norm, is gradually disappearing. Today, only very rich families or those from working-class backgrounds continue to have more children than the average. According to INSEE, 1,877 children were born on average every day in France in 2023. There were nearly 2,200 in 2015.