Fewer babies than ever before in recorded history were born in Finland in 2022, Statistics Finland reported on Friday.
The agency said the country's fertility rate last year was 1.32 children per woman, the lowest figure recorded since 1776. In comparison, around a decade ago, in 2010, the Finnish fertility rate was 1.87.
The drop was most significant in terms of families not choosing to have a second or third child.
A slight but brief uptick in births was noted after 2019, partially attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic, but has since subsided.
Researchers in Finland have previously noted the falling fertility rate relates to cultural and societal shifts that have—in many people's minds—raised the bar for starting a family.
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