During the mid-1990s, the number of births in Finland began to fall as the economy picked up after the recession. Usually, fewer children are born when the economic situation is good. Recently, however, the trend has turned around. Last year, over 59,000 babies were born in Finland, a figure that is over 1,000 more than in 2005.
The average age for a woman giving birth is 30. First-time mothers, however, are older than before. In recent years, the average age of first-time mothers has risen to 28.
Some commend Finnish day-care as well as parental allowances and leave, and believe the system encourages people to raise families.
Too little, too late
Northern and central Ostrobothnia had the highest birth rates, whereas East Savo, Kymenlaakso and Lapland had the lowest.
Mika Gissler, a researcher at the National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health, said that a lack of educational opportunities and jobs affect the birth rate in sparsely populated areas. According to Gissler, educated women from rural areas often move to larger cities to find work, and do not return to their hometowns. Meanwhile, Helsinki poses its own set of challenges for young families. In the capital city region a first child is born, however siblings do not follow.
In order for the population to not shrink in the future, each woman needs to, on average, have more than two children, researchers say. In spite of the increased number of births last year, women are still, on average, giving birth to fewer than two.