According to Statistics Finland, the decrease in the birth rate, which has continued for nine years, halted in 2020. At the birth rate prevailing in 2020, a woman would give birth to an average of 1.37 children, according to the 2019 birth rate 1.35 children. Altogether 46,463 children were born in 2020, which is 850 children more than in the previous year.
The growth in the age of first-time parents slowed down slightly in 2020. On average, first-time mothers were aged 29.7 years, 0.1 years older than in the previous year 2019. In ten years, the mean age at first confinement has risen by 1.4 years. First-time fathers were, on average, of the same age as in the previous year, 31.6 years, on average.
In all, 42 % of all those born in 2020 were first-born children, 34 % were second children, 14 % third children and 5% fourth children. Birth rate highest in Porvoo and lowest in Helsinki and Turku.
At the same time, the number of deaths increased in 2020 from the previous year, unfortunately. In 2020, a total of 55,488 persons died, which is 1,539 more than in the year before. In 2020, men died, on average, at the age of 75.3 and women at 82.1. In young age groups, a majority of deaths occurred among men but among persons aged 83 and older there were more deaths among women than men.
In 2020, the life expectancy at birth was 79 years for boys and 84.6 years for girls. For boys, the life expectancy decreased by 0.13 years and for girls it increased by 0.09 years compared with 2019. Life expectancy at birth indicates how many years a person aged 0 would live on average if mortality remained at its present level.
The number of infant deaths is again at a record low level. In 2020, there were 83 infant deaths, that is, children who died at the age of under one year. The number is lowest in the history of independent Finland for the second year in a row.
Source: You can find full statistic data at Statistics Finland website Birth rate 2020 and Number of deaths 2020.
Published 25.04.2021, FINREPO