– It could well have come sooner. But I am very happy that it happened now, and that dad was able to participate in everything. Malene Hassel Sørensen says so. She and Josip Dragan Bogdanovic became parents for the first time this summer. But there are fewer newborn children. In the first quarter of this year, just under 900 fewer children were born than at the same time in 2021. Low birth rate – The birth rate in Norway is the lowest ever. Anders Sønstebø from SSB says so. As a demographer, he is a specialist in population development. In 2021, during the pandemic, fertility in Norway rose for the first time in 12 years. Around 56,000 children were then born. About. 3,000 more than the previous year. But that rise was short-lived. In the first quarter of this year, there were fewer births than ever at the same time since Statistics Norway started keeping such statistics in 1997. A long list of reasons Vegard Fykse Skirbekk has worked on the topic for many years, both in Norway and internationally, and has recently written a book about the decline in births. Now he is the head of research at the Center for Fertility and Health (SFF) at FHI – a center which, among other things, researches the reasons for and the consequences of fewer children being born. He says that there are many reasons why the number of births is falling. Among other things, contraception is being used increasingly better and more often and we are taking increasingly longer courses, something that often postpones childbirth, at least internationally. Vegard Fykse Skirbekk has many years of research and work behind him around the internet at birth. Photo: Privat In addition, he believes that in recent decades there have been major changes in society around, among other things, secularisation which can contribute to lower birth rates. – From a Norwegian perspective, I would also like to highlight the very high housing prices we have, which means that it can be very difficult for young people to establish themselves and form a family, says Skirbekk. Many women, especially in Norway, are also waiting longer to have their first child than before, he says. Research, both internationally and at SFF, continues to map what happens when fewer people are born. – But this topic will not disappear anytime soon, says Skirbekk. Ward midwife at the hospital in Stavanger, Lilly Kleppa, shows the Tree of Life. For each birth, they attach a new leaf to the branches. In the first half of this year, they published 2,010 leaves, 171 fewer than the previous year. Photo: Kjersti Hetland / news Costly measures – If you look at the situation now, there are fewer and fewer working people to provide for an ever-increasing elderly population. After all, it is the children born today who will provide the welfare services in the future, says Margret Hagerup (H). She sits on the Rogaland bench in the Storting and has previously been involved in the birth rate problem. In addition, she has four children herself. – It will not be many years before it is a big challenge that we have too few working people, says parliamentary representative and mother of four Margret Hagerup. Photo: Ole Andreas Bø / news – We want to ensure that more children are offered a nursery place when they turn one, or after the leave period is over, says the right-wing politician. She says they have also programmed fathers with an independent right of ignition. – Both of these measures will cost a lot of money, but the question is whether we can afford a society where it is not possible to have children and women refuse to take up work, because the burden becomes too great when you have to take unpaid leave while you are waiting for a kindergarten place, says Hagerup. Minister for Children and Families Kjersti Toppe has noticed that the number is on the way down. She points out that the government is working to make arrangements so that those who wish to have children can have children. – It is important to ensure that those who wish to have children have good welfare arrangements. Among other things, with a good kindergarten policy. We have introduced cheaper kindergartens and free after-school for the first-graders, says Toppe. Wants more children Three-day-old Josefine lies safely in her father’s arms. Malene H. Sørensen is very satisfied with her stay at the hospital. – After this experience, I already want to do it again, laughs the new mother. – We can wait a bit. We need a little more time to recover, the father replies.
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The number of births is falling again – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
