With 108,150 births in 2024, the birth rate in Belgium registers a decrease of 1.9% compared to 2023 (110,198 births), confirming the downward trend that began after the peak in 2010. Furthermore, this level observed in 2024 is the lowest registered since 1942. Since records of the number of births began, only five years have recorded fewer births than 2024: 1916, 1917, 1918, 1941 and 1942, all years of war. Indeed, apart from a slight rebound in 2021, linked to post-COVID catch-up, the birth rate has continued to decline. This is what emerged from the latest figures on birth rates and fertility published by Statbel, the Belgian statistical office.

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