Spain’s birth rate increases for the first time in a decade thanks to net migration

THE rate at which people are making babies in Spain has gone up for the first time in a decade.

A total of 322,034 babies were born across the country in 2024, a modest 0.4% bump (1,378 more) on births compared to 2023, according to preliminary data released by the National Statistics Institute (INE).

While just a small rise, it marks a turning point after ten consecutive years of declining birth rates.

Despite this positive change, demographic experts remain cautious as the figures are still preliminary and any revision could eliminate the good news.

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“If fertility decreases but birth rates increase, it means the fertile population is growing,” explained Albert Esteve, director of the Center for Demographic Studies at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.

“And the only way to increase the fertile population is through immigration.” 

Spain offset its low fertility rate of just 1.4 babies per woman in 2023 by welcoming net migration of 642,296 people – among the highest immigration rates in Europe.

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This demographic picture reveals that while birth rates may have slightly recovered, Spain continues to face significant population challenges. 

The country registered 439,146 deaths in 2024 (a 0.7% increase from 2023), which means despite the baby bump, the country still saw an overall decline of 114,937, immigration notwithstanding.

It is the eighth consecutive year where deaths have outnumbered births.

Regional variations were significant. Cantabria (13.3%) and the Balearic Islands (5.7%) recorded the highest increases in births, while Galicia (-4.4%) and the Basque Country (-3.7%) saw the sharpest declines. 

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Only five regions achieved positive population growth: Madrid, Murcia, the Balearics, Melilla, and Ceuta.

The data also highlights Spain’s continuing trend toward later motherhood. 

Births to mothers aged 40 or older have increased by 8.5% over the past decade, now representing 10.4% of all births compared to just 7.2% in 2014.

A recent CIS (Center for Sociological Research) study identified economic constraints, work-life balance challenges, and housing costs as the primary barriers to family formation in Spain. 

Over 77% of respondents cited ‘lack of economic means’ as the main reason for having fewer children.

Even with this slight recovery, birth rates remain 24.7% lower than a decade ago, going to show the demographic challenges Spain continues to face.