A day when births are particularly numerous, sometimes to very young or, on the contrary, elderly mothers: among the many statistics concerning the birth rate, still in decline in France, some may be surprising.
Maximum number of births on July 20th...
From 2015 to 2024, July 20 is the day of the year with the "maximum number of births," with an average number of 2,210, compared to 2,030 over the entire period, or +9%, indicates an INSEE study published Thursday.
This date of birth corresponds to a conception around October 29, during the All Saints' Day holidays. However, "school holidays seem more conducive to conceptions," notes the INSEE.
Conversely, December 25th is the day with the fewest births (1,600, or -22%). This is a public holiday: however, births are less frequent on "these days of usual rest", which can be explained "by a lower number of scheduled births".
…But births are generally down
Although there are periods when there are many births, the birth rate has been declining in France for several years.
In 2024, 660,800 newborns were born, according to the revised INSEE estimate, the lowest number since the end of the Second World War, for the third consecutive year.
And the downward trend continues in 2025: from January to July, the average daily number of births decreased by 2% compared to the same period last year.
Some mothers under 18…
Among the babies born in 2024, 2,173 had mothers under 18 years old, or 0.33%, according to INSEE data.
These are sometimes pregnancies discovered too late to be terminated. But these births are often the result of "earlier and more accelerated" trajectories, Didier Breton, associate researcher at the National Institute of Demographic Studies (INED), explained to AFP. Very young women who "are less focused on their studies," are "in a relationship," or who benefit from "family support" may thus decide to carry on with a pregnancy.
Underage mothers have always been recorded, but their number has been declining since 1975 due to "access to contraception and abortion."
…And over 50 years old
271 babies born in 2024 had a mother aged 50 or older, or 0.04% of births.
Again, women have always given birth at a late age.
Until the 1970s, highly fertile women could have many children, well into old age, in the absence of available contraception.
The number of women giving birth after the age of 45 or 50 has increased significantly since the 2000s. "What is unusual today is the entry into parenthood beyond the age of 40-45," emphasizes Didier Breton, also a professor of demography at the University of Strasbourg. This situation is linked to "advances in medicine" but also to the desire "to delay the entry into motherhood."
The North, the number 1 department for babies
The number of births varies significantly depending on the department, from a few hundred to a few tens of thousands per year.
Last year, the INSEE recorded the highest number of newborns in the North (26,600). Seine-Saint-Denis (24,900) and Bouches-du-Rhône (22,500) completed the podium.
The number of births "depends primarily on the number of women of childbearing age and somewhat on behavior," i.e., whether or not they want to have a child, explains Didier Breton. The departments that occupy the podium are thus densely populated and rather young.
Conversely, there were the fewest births last year in three rural departments: 500 babies were born in Lozère, 700 in Creuse and 900 in Cantal.
Regardless of the size of the territory, a change in the number of births over several years can pose challenges for public authorities, for example in organizing the number of classes in schools.
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