New data released by the INE (National Statistics Institute) indicate that the attempts of recent years to promote birth among Spaniards have been shipwrecked. The conclusions are not encouraging. On the one hand low birth ratewhile on the other increase the age of being a mother to historical highs.
The figures are strong enough. The birth rate fell 3.2 percent, the lowest rate in the last five years recorded between January and June 2010. The same period in which a mean age of first-time mothers at 31.12 years, the highest recorded so far in Spain.
2010 has been a year marked by the economic crisis, the main responsible for many evils, and also the decline in birth. It is logical that at this juncture a couple think about it a lot, but a lot, before having a child. On top of that, the elimination of the baby check has been announced, which will have stopped many when ordering a baby. Although it was not decisive in the decision, the 2,500 euros contributed to the expenses of the first months.
But the most striking fact, intimately linked with the previous one, is the historical increase in the age at which the woman becomes a mother. In recent years there was an escalation and there is no prospect of change, so I think the trend will remain the same in the coming years.
The age of accessing a stable job is increasingly delayed, a basic requirement for a couple to decide to start a family. We already know that as the woman's age progresses, fertility decreases causing a progressive decrease in the number of women of childbearing age. If in 2008 the number of children for each woman was 1.46, in 2009 it fell to 1.39 and in 2010 to 1.38 on average.
The figures, as I said, demoralize a lot. I believe that the importance of a society that gives birth to children is not valued. He decrease in birth rate and increase in the age of being a mother These are problems that now go to the background, there are more serious fires to put out, but it is a clear index of population decline. What do you think of this trend?
