Swedish Researcher Concerned as Birthrates Hit 20-Year Low

A Swedish academic has expressed concern about Sweden’s demographic situation as the country’s birthrate hits a 20-year low, with young people far less likely to have children.

Sociology professor Gunnar Andersson has expressed concern over Sweden’s plummeting birthrates, noting that the 2022 figure of 1.52 children per woman is the lowest the country has seen since 1999.

“We link this to the increased concerns globally, which means that young adults do not have their first child. In order to start with the family project, you have to have faith in the future,” Andersson told broadcaster SVT.

Sweden’s birth rate has fallen gradually year-on-year since 2010 when the birth rate hovered around 1.98 children per woman — still below the 2.25 replacement rate, although the trend did reverse slightly during the coronavirus pandemic in 2021.

“It has major long-term consequences with age structures that become skewed. There will be very few younger people to support the older ones,” Andersson claimed.

Sweden now sees more babies born to women over the age of 45 than teenagers, suggesting younger people, in particular, are increasingly unwilling or unable to start families.

Lena Lundkvist, a demographer at Statistics Sweden, stated that 2022 is the first time Sweden has seen the phenomenon.

According to Swedish statistics, just 410 children were born to mothers aged 19 or younger last year, while 537 children were born to women over the age of 45.

Ulla Waldenström, a professor emerita of reproductive health, warned that the trend has its risks, including the issue that women who leave having children to a later age may run into difficulties conceiving, among other risks to the woman and the child.

Sweden’s birth rate has declined despite the country having some of the most generous policies for women who wish to give birth, such as extended 480-day paid parental leave, which also includes the spouse of the mother.

Birthrates have been declining across Europe, however, and though some countries like Finland, saw a slight uptick during the COVID-19 pandemic, others like Spain and Italy hit new lows during the coronavirus years.

Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com.