Is the current fall in birth numbers in France exceptional?
Yes, it is fairly exceptional. If we exclude 2014, when Mayotte became a French department, and 2021, as the COVID-19 pandemic showed signs of receding, births have been falling in France for nearly 12 years. In 2023, 678,000 babies were born—around 150,000 fewer births than in 2010. Prior to that, France had also seen relatively long and intense periods of ...