Births in France fell last year to their lowest annual number since the end of World War II in 1945, the national statistics bureau said on Tuesday.
In 2024, 663,000 babies were born in France, the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee) said, a drop of 2.2 percent from the previous year.
The total fertility rate stood at 1.59 children per woman in metropolitan France, its lowest level for more than a century.
Insee said 646,000 people died in France in 2024, an increase of 1.1 percent from the previous year, because of baby boomers reaching old age.
France had a population of 68.6 million as of January 1, 2025, an increase of 0.25 percent over one year.
Migration flows added a net 152,000 people to the overall population last year, Insee said.
France's ageing population is having fewer babies and living longer than ever
Life expectancy for people in France has stabilised at a "historically high level", at 85.6 years for women and 80 years for men.
The latest figures were released as the French government seeks to clamp down on irregular immigration and limit regular immigration.
Last year, President Emmanuel Macron said he wanted to revive France's sluggish birth rate, pledging to offer a better parental leave and combat infertility.
(with AFP)
