Overview
- France’s total fertility rate fell from 2.0 children per woman in 2014 to 1.6 in 2024.
- Just 663,000 babies were born in 2024, marking the lowest annual tally since World War II.
- An Ined survey finds 65% of adults view two children as ideal, yet average intended family size among under-30s dropped to 1.9.
- Longer studies, housing shortages and greater economic precarity are prompting young adults to delay parenthood and reduce their desired family size.
- Economists warn that persistently low birth rates could trigger global population decline by 2055 and heighten strains on France’s welfare model.