In ten years, the average age when women in Sweden give birth to their first child has increased from 28 to 29, figures from Statistics Sweden (Statistics Sweden) show. The last figure that was so high was during the 1930s during the depression years.

"It's almost up to record levels," says Gunnar Andersson, professor of demography at the Department of Sociology at Stockholm University.

Other causes than before

At the same time, the measure of fertility, which is a calculation of how many children per woman will be born on average, has fallen for ten years and is down to just over 1.7.

Previously, this has been explained by unemployment, poor economy or changes in family and social policy, but it has not been possible to do so now. Instead, researchers see a current trend that needs to be investigated.

- We will collect new data to see if it is possible to find explanations for it. If environmental factors around the world cause people to possibly wait to have children or maybe not have children at all, says Gunnar Andersson.

New research

A new large survey is now planned across Europe and recently researchers from the Nordic countries met to discuss the design of the questions.

- We have different questions about personality types and ask if people are concerned about, for example, climate, world politics, democracy, terrorism, migration. We also ask what you have confidence in various community institutions and whether or not you fulfill their children's plans.

In the clip above, SVT's reporter explains more about what the development has looked like over the years.