In 2023, about 3.66 million babies were born in the European Union, a slight decrease from the year before. In the same year, the most children born in any EU country were born in Germany. Live births are the births of children excluding stillbirths; a key figure that can provide insight to demographic analyses, such as population growth. Population growth in EuropeEurope is the continent with the second-highest life expectancy at birth and has favorable living conditions due to factors such as a stable economy, and a high quality of public health and medical care. The European Union’s population has remained securely around 450 million inhabitants, though it has been increasing slowly from 2008 to 2023.

In 2022, there were around 3.88 million live births in the European Union, with Germany having the highest number of live births at 738,819, compared with 726,533 in France.

Graph and download economic data for Crude Birth Rate for the Euro Area (SPDYNCBRTINEMU) from 1960 to 2023 about birth, crude, Euro Area, Europe, and rate.

The crude birth rate in Turkey was estimated to be 12.3 live births per 1,000 population in 2023, the highest among countries in Europe. By contrast, Ukraine had the lowest crude birth rate in Europe, at 5.6 live births per 1,000 population.

The average for 2022 based on 27 countries was 1.47 births per woman. The highest value was in Romania: 1.81 births per woman and the lowest value was in Malta: 1.15 births per woman. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2022. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

European Union birth rate for 2023 was 8.16, a 6.05% decline from 2022.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>European Union birth rate for 2022 was <strong>8.69</strong>, a <strong>5.32% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>European Union birth rate for 2021 was <strong>9.18</strong>, a <strong>0.64% increase</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>European Union birth rate for 2020 was <strong>9.12</strong>, a <strong>2.31% decline</strong> from 2019.</li>
</ul>Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.

Sex ratio at birth (male births per female births) in European Union was reported at 1.0559 in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. European Union - Sex ratio at birth (male births per female births) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

Live births (total) by month

In 2022, the crude birth rate in Europe (the number of live births per 1,000 population) was estimated to be 9.2, which is also the lowest birth rate in the provided time period. Between 1950 and 2022, the birth rate was highest in Europe in 1950 when it stood at 22.2.

Fertility rate, total (births per woman) in European Union was reported at 1.386 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. European Union - Fertility rate, total (births per woman) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

The average for 2022 based on 46 countries was 9.27 births per 1000 people. The highest value was in Turkey: 14.47 births per 1000 people and the lowest value was in San Marino: 6.1 births per 1000 people. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2022. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

This statistic depicts the crude birth rate (per 1,000 population) in the European Union and the United Kingdom in 2022. The crude birth rate was highest in Ireland with 11.2 births per thousand women, while Italy had the lowest birth rate with 6.7 births per 1,000 women.

Adolescent fertility rate (births per 1,000 women ages 15-19) in European Union was reported at 6.664 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. European Union - Adolescent fertility rate (births per 1,000 women ages 15-19) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

Mortality rate, infant, male (per 1,000 live births) in European Union was reported at 3.4418 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. European Union - Mortality rate, infant, male (per 1,000 live births) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Crude Birth Rate for Central Europe and the Baltics (SPDYNCBRTINCEB) from 1960 to 2023 about Baltics, Central Europe, birth, crude, Europe, and rate.

In 2023, the Faroe Islands was the European country estimated to have the highest fertility rate. The small Atlantic island state had a fertility rate of 2.71 children per woman. Other small countries such as Monaco and Gibraltar also came towards the top of the list for 2023, while the large country with the highest fertility rate was France, with 1.79 children per woman. On the other hand, Andorra, San Marino, and Malta had the lowest fertility rates in Europe, with Ukraine, Spain, and Italy being the largest countries with low fertility rates in that year, averaging around 1.3 children per woman.

Live births are the births of children that showed any sign of life. The crude birth rate is the ratio of the number of live births during the year to the average population in that year. The value is expressed per 1 000 persons.

Graph and download economic data for Life Expectancy at Birth, Total for the Euro Area (SPDYNLE00INEMU) from 1960 to 2023 about life expectancy, life, birth, Euro Area, and Europe.

In 2024, the total fertility rate in Europe was estimated to be 1.4 births per woman compared with 2.7 in 1950. The fertility rate in Europe fell considerably between 1957 and 1999, falling from 2.62 to 1.4.

Graph and download economic data for Crude Birth Rate for Developing Countries in Europe and Central Asia (SPDYNCBRTINECA) from 1960 to 2023 about Central Asia, birth, crude, Europe, and rate.