More women having first baby after 30
Last year saw the largest percentage of women in their mid- to late-30s having their first baby, according to Flemish family service agency Kind en Gezin
Birth rates down
Last year, 67,875 children were born in Flanders, which is 0.4% fewer than in 2013 and the lowest number in 10 years. According to Kind en Gezin, this evolution doesn’t mean that women are having fewer children but that they are starting families at a later age.
“Women are studying longer and are more likely to have a job now,” than even 10 years ago, Diederik Van Coppenolle of Kind en Gezin told public broadcaster VRT. “But we also suspect that the financial crisis has an impact: People in their 20s are often in an insecure financial situation and are more inclined to postpone having kids.”
Statistics back up the claim: Last year, only 4% of children were born to women between 20 and 24 years old. That is the lowest number ever recorded and less than the number of children born to women between 35 and 39 years old.
Gynaecology professor Petra De Sutter of Ghent University said women shouldn’t feel guilty about postponing their pregnancies but did think that the government should launch a campaign to raise awareness about the increase in possible complications as a woman gets older.
