« The decline in births continues », « Fewer and fewer births », « A lower number of births » than the same month last year… When looking at the monthly birth reports prepared by Insee for the year 2025, the same pattern repeats from one month to the next. Between January and October 2025, no month surpassed its counterpart from 2024 in terms of births. On the contrary, from January to March 2025, for example, « the average daily number of births decreased by 2.7% ». The problem: the number of births is not far from matching, and might even be less than the number of deaths, plunging the country into a demographic decline.
Months with more deaths than births in 2025
The final data regarding demographics for the year 2025 was published on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, and it's concerning. A total of 645,000 births were recorded, which is a decline of 2.1% compared to the previous year. However, the year 2024 had set a sad record: never before had the birth rate been so low since the end of World War II — with a total of 660,800 births.
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In the first quarter of 2025, only 55,165 births were recorded, which is a 3.6% decrease for the whole year, according to Insee. In May, the number of births — 53,785 — was lower than the number of deaths, a first since 1945. Throughout the year, 651,000 deaths were recorded, an increase of 1.5% compared to 2024.
A new parental leave to encourage the French to have children
Since the late 1970s, birth rates have been steadily declining in France. If a woman had an average of 2.9 children in 1901, this number has decreased to 1.59 in 2024, falling below the replacement level for generations.
The birth rate is at 2.05 children per woman.
How can we explain this? Climate change, anxiety-inducing climate, difficulties in conceiving, longer studies, prioritizing career, and also financial factors are some reasons why French people are having fewer children. The Ministry of Health estimates that the cost of raising a child until the age of 20 is around 180,000 euros.
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At the beginning of December 2025, the implementation of a new parental leave was approved thanks to the adoption of the social security budget. This initiative is linked to the policy of "demographic rearmament" advocated by President Emmanuel Macron. This leave allows both parents to benefit from one or two additional months, each, with their child, in addition to their maternity or paternity leave. It can be taken simultaneously, separately, or split into two periods of one month. Parents will be compensated at 70% of their net salary for the first month and 60% for the second. This leave applies to births and adoptions occurring from January 1, 2026. It will come into effect on the end of 2026.
July 1, 2026.