Far fewer children were born last year than the year before. Although the figures for December are not yet clear, there is likely to be a record-breaking drop in the number of births from one year to the next. With 2021 as an exception, there has been a downward trend in the last ten years. In the past, several were created by chance. Minister for Children and Families Kjersti Toppe from the Center Party calls it serious. Anne Eskild, professor and head of department for the Women’s Clinic at Akershus University Hospital, does not like the development either. She says there are far fewer people today who get pregnant “by chance”. Senior doctor and professor at the women’s clinic at Ahus, Anne Eskild. Photo: Dang Thrin / news – It may be controversial to say, but it is not necessarily so crazy to get pregnant by chance. She explains this by saying that the general attitude today is that all children should be planned. And now one has subsidized young women with contraception. This is often safe contraception that is not user-controlled and has few errors. She believes that excessive planning can be a contributing factor to young women giving birth to fewer children. – Then there can be a difference between unplanned and unwanted pregnancy, of course. She refers to exaggerated expectations today that one can become pregnant at an advanced age. – Maybe one plans to get away from having children. In other words, it may be too late when you want children. Change your mind every day 25-year-old Maren Victoria Pettersen and 27-year-old Petter Næss in Bodø had their son Johannes at the beginning of last year. They wanted to have children and took the it-happens-it-happens approach. – Then it happened a little faster than we thought perhaps, says Pettersen. CHANGE YOUR MIND: When are they going to start with child number two? The parents, Maren Victoria Pettersen and Petter Næss, cannot quite agree with themselves. Photo: Elise Angermo Fossland / news – What do they think about getting more? – We change our minds day by day. We wonder if we should get everyone out at once, or if we should wait until he has become a little more independent, says Næss. – But we want at least one more, adds Pettersen. – What do they think about there being fewer births here in the districts, but also on a national basis? – It doesn’t exactly apply to us, but it probably has something to do with centralization and the fact that you have to travel far to get help, Næss replies. While he points to the desire to first stabilize with education and work, the boyfriend points to the economy. – Then it is very expensive. There is something about us having to provide for them too. And help them enter the housing market when they get older. 4,666 fewer births There were 8,133 children born in Norway at the end of November last year. That is 4,666 fewer than at the same time in 2021. During November 2022, 3,543 children have been born. This is the lowest number so far last year, according to figures from the Medical Birth Register. Here is an overview of the number of children born, prioritized from most to least: Viken: 10,543 Oslo 7836 Vestland: 5809 Møre and Romsdal: 2156 Troms and Finnmark: 2001 Nordland: 1911 In total last year there were 56,676 births. My support scheme favors some – The development is particularly serious in the districts, says Anne Eskild, at the Women’s Clinic at Akershus University Hospital. In Finnmark, the number of births has almost halved since the 1990s. And the only place where the number does not go down is central Austlandet. That is why the government introduced free kindergartens in Finnmark and Nord-Troms from the turn of the millennium. Eskild is excited to see if it can help. She believes the main problem is a system of parental allowance that favors well-grown women in well-paid jobs, who are not so fertile anymore: – It is meaningless. Then the scheme with parental allowance is best for 50-year-olds. It should be best for those who are most fertile, you have to play along with biology. Toppe: – Disturbing numbers Minister for Children and Families from the Center Party Kjersti Toppe says support for both students and other women who are not entitled to parental allowance has improved. – But it favors those who are established and have good salaries. More and more people are taking advantage of the scheme. AWAITING ANSWER: If the government gets knowledge that deals with them outside of working life, Toppe believes that the government should look at what can be done to support these families better than today. Photo: Leif Rune Løland / news The development is serious, believes Toppe. – I think it is disturbing that the birth rate is so low. In the government, we are particularly concerned about the decline in the districts. – What will the government do to reverse the trend of few births in the country? – We want to facilitate an active children’s policy. We are looking at the development in the decline in births and will go into those figures to gain more knowledge about what is the cause. Then we will make the financial priorities we can. – Are you saying that the support for those who want to have children, but who are not in the workforce, should be increased? – We are waiting for an explanation where we will get more knowledge about what could be the cause of the trends we are seeing now. – Worth it In Bodø, the parent couple Pettersen and Næss are clear in their case. In any case, there will be one more child, even if it is both difficult and expensive. – It is easy for us who have children to say that it is the best thing in the world to have. Perhaps others think that this is a great strain more than the great love one can have. – But it’s worth it, she says. – But you don’t know until you’ve got one, he concludes.
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– It’s not necessarily so crazy to get pregnant by accident – news Nordland
