Europe 1 with AFP 11:47 a.m., January 16, 2024

Fewer than 700,000 babies were born in France in 2023, which corresponds to the lowest number of births over a year since 1946, INSEE said Tuesday.

In 2023, 678,000 babies were born in the country, 6.6% less than the previous year, which corresponds to the lowest number of births over a year since 1946, INSEE said on Tuesday. Over the same period, there were 631,000 deaths, a 6.5% decrease compared to 2022, a year marked by the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic and episodes of extreme heat. The natural balance of the French population thus remained slightly positive (+47,000 people).

France had more than 68.4 million inhabitants on 1 January 2024, a further increase of 0.3% over one year, limited by a marked decline in the birth rate.

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