Booming babies

France is one of the few European countries whose population growth comes from births rather than immigration.

According to the country’s statistics agency INSEE, more babies were born here during 2006 than in any year in the past quarter of a century. Over 830,000 babies arrived in that year (the highest number since 1981) taking the French population to 63.4 million.

The fertility rate is now two children per woman, up from 1.92 in 2005. INSEE reports this has been climbing since 1996, but has still not reached 2.1, the rate considered adequate to replace a population in developed countries.

The government says the figures are a victory for its family-friendly healthcare policies, cheap day care, generous post-natal parental leave and a wide range of other social and financial benefits.

08.03.2007

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