The number of births in Austria continued to decline in 2024. According to the study “Families in Numbers,” 77,238 children were born last year—around 370 fewer than in 2023 and significantly fewer than in 2021, when there were over 86,000 births. The fertility rate fell from 1.44 to 1.31 children per woman and thus remains well below the level necessary for stable population growth.

The difference between mothers is striking: while Austrian women have an average of 1.22 children, the fertility rate among women with foreign citizenship is 1.58. At the same time, the age of mothers continues to rise. Women have their first child at an average age of 30.4, a historic high. However, births to women over 40 remain comparatively rare at 3.6 percent.

There are significant regional differences in the origin of parents. Across Austria, around two-thirds of mothers and fathers were born in the country, but in Vienna this is only the case for a minority. There, most parents of newborns come from abroad. The proportion of children born out of wedlock has also fallen recently to 38.1 percent.

Family Minister Claudia Plakolm sees the decline in births as part of an international trend. She believes that politicians can help to create a more family-friendly climate, primarily by improving conditions such as expanding childcare and making it easier to balance family and career.

©derstandard.at, 29.12.2025