Finland experiencing record-low birthrate, rising immigration

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - Finland's birthrate hit an all-time low in the first half of 2023, dropping to its lowest since 1900, according to media reports Thursday.

The Nordic nation saw the lowest number of births in its recorded history since 1900, with 21,180 live births -- a decline of 1,082 compared to the same period last year, said public broadcaster YLE, citing data from Statistics Finland.

In the past 12 months, the fertility rate dropped to 1.28, down from 1.87 in 2010 and 1.35 in 2019.

The report noted that Finland's fertility rate was on a long, steady decline until the coronavirus pandemic during 2020 and 2021 when there was a slight increase, but it then fell again in 2022.

Despite the birthrate, Finland reported rising immigration, as 28,345 people immigrated from abroad in 2023.

Most immigrants arriving were from Ukraine, Russia, the Philippines and India, said the report.