Fewer babies in North Macedonia: fertility rate at 1.35

Births in North Macedonia continue to decline: the country's fertility rate stands at 1.35 children per woman, mirroring a wider European trend of falling natality and shrinking natural population growth. Eurostat recorded an EU average of 1.34 children per woman in 2024.

Official figures show that North Macedonia recorded 15,850 live births in 2025, a decrease of 1.3 percent compared with the previous year. The total number of registered births was 15,932, of which 82 were stillbirths. By sex, 51.7 percent of liveborn babies were male and 48.3 percent female, equivalent to 106.9 boys per 100 girls. The month with the most births was July, with 1,531 liveborn children.

Age patterns remain concentrated: 31.7 percent of births in 2025 were to mothers aged 25–29. The average age of mothers at birth was 29.8 years, while for first-time mothers the average was 28.2 years. The data also record 15 live births to mothers younger than 15 in 2025. Out-of-wedlock live births numbered 1,868, representing 11.8 percent of the total.

Regional differences

Although the national fertility rate is 1.35, there are substantial regional differences. The Skopje Region stands above the national average at 1.73 children per woman, followed by the Northeastern Region at 1.40 and the Pelagonia Region at 1.36. Below the national average are the Polog and Southwestern Regions (1.27), the Vardar Region (1.31), the Southeastern Region (1.30) and the Eastern Region, which has the lowest rate at 1.16 children per woman.

These figures were published by the State Statistical Office and confirm a long-term downward trend in both natality and fertility across the country. Demographers warn that sustained rates below the replacement level of about 2.1 children per woman will continue to affect population size and age structure.

Regional data for the European Union offer context: of 1,165 regions with available information, 439 had fertility below the EU average, 714 were above it and 12 were equal. Fertility of at least 1.75 children per woman was found in several regions in Bulgaria, France, Germany, Slovenia, Hungary, the Netherlands and Romania, as well as in one region each in Ireland, Greece, Croatia and Slovakia. The lowest rates were concentrated in parts of Spain and Italy (notably Sardinia). Rates below one child per woman were recorded in 16 Spanish regions, seven Polish regions, five Italian regions, three Greek regions and two regions each in Germany and Lithuania.

Photo: press material from the event