Spain births increase for first time in over a decade

Madrid – The number of babies born in Spain rose for the first time in more than a decade in 2025, official data showed on Feb 18, a boost for a country facing one of Europe’s most serious demographic crises.

Spain recorded 321,164 births in 2025, a rise of 3,159 or around 1 per cent over 2024, according to preliminary figures from national statistics institute INE.

It is the first time that the yearly number of births has increased since 2014.

But the number of deaths in 2025 rose 2.5 per cent over the previous year to 446,982, leading to a natural population decline of 122,167.

Spain has recorded a natural population decline – more deaths than births – each year since 2017.

Countries all over the world are facing population crises with births below figures needed to sustain current populations, leaving older people dependent on a shrinking working-age population.

With Spain facing an ageing population and low birth rate, the country has pursued an open immigration policy in recent years, in contrast to its peers in the West.

Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez unveiled a plan in January to regularise 500,000 undocumented immigrants, mainly from Latin America.

The policy has faced strong criticism from right-wing parties, who call it “reckless”.

Mr Sanchez argues immigrants help sustain the workforce and maintain the pension system.

Spain’s population stood at 49.5 million as atof Jan 1, including 7.2 million foreigners, or 14.6 per cent of the total, the INE reported last week. AFP