The Sweden birth rate fell again in 2024, reaching its lowest level in more than 20 years as fewer babies are born, mothers are older at childbirth and risk factors such as high BMI become more common, putting additional pressure on Sweden’s maternity services.
Sweden birth rate at the lowest level in two decades
According to new figures from the National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen), around 99,000 babies were born in Sweden in 2024, the lowest number since the early 2000s. The number of births per 1,000 women aged 15–49 dropped to 41.8, the lowest level recorded since measurements began in 1973. The data confirm a long-term decline in childbearing that started well before the Covid-19 pandemic and has not reversed.
The latest national population statistics show that this fall in births is part of a broader trend of low fertility in Sweden, with a total fertility rate of around 1.43 children per woman in 2024, clearly below the replacement level of 2.1. Similar record lows have been reported across the Nordic region, including Finland, Denmark and Norway, underlining that the Swedish pattern is part of a wider demographic shift in northern Europe.
Ageing motherhood changes when Swedes have children
One of the clearest shifts behind the declining birth rate in Sweden is the rising age of pregnant women. In 2024, the average age of first-time mothers passed 30 years for the first time, reaching 30.1. Half of all first-time mothers were 30 or older, with the highest average in Stockholm County at 31.5 years and the lowest in Gävleborg County at 28.5 years. Overall, the average age of women giving birth was 31.6, and more than 5 percent were 40 or older.
Delaying childbirth reflects a combination of longer education, later entry into stable employment, and changing expectations about family life. But it also has medical consequences. Older maternal age is linked to higher risks of complications such as gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia and the need for caesarean delivery. Health experts warn that as the average age at childbirth continues to rise, maternity services need to adapt to a population of pregnant women with more complex health profiles.
More pregnancies affected by overweight and obesity
Alongside age, overweight and obesity among pregnant women have become a central concern in Swedish maternal health. Socialstyrelsen’s data show that in 2024 almost 47 percent of expectant mothers had a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher, meaning they were classified as overweight or obese. This share has nearly doubled since the early 1990s, and regional differences are stark: while about 39 percent of pregnant women in Stockholm had a high BMI, the proportion reached 54 percent in Blekinge and Sörmland.
A higher BMI increases the risk of complications during pregnancy and birth, including hypertension, gestational diabetes, difficult deliveries and health problems for the newborn. For maternity and antenatal services, this means more need for specialised monitoring, more complex care pathways and a greater likelihood of emergency interventions. The combination of fewer births but more high-risk pregnancies is changing how resources must be planned and allocated across Sweden’s regions.
Caesarean sections on the rise in Swedish maternity care
The changing risk profile of pregnancies is reflected in the growing share of caesarean sections. In 2024, caesarean deliveries accounted for 20 percent of all births in Sweden, and the increase is driven mainly by emergency procedures. The proportion of acute caesareans rose from 9.7 percent of births in 2020 to 11.2 percent in 2024, while planned caesareans have also become more common in several regions.
Specialists point out that this trend is likely linked both to the higher average age of pregnant women and to the greater prevalence of high BMI, but also to evolving clinical practices within obstetric care. For hospitals, more caesareans mean pressure on operating theatres, staffing and post-operative care, and they can have implications for mothers’ and babies’ health in subsequent pregnancies. The figures suggest that Swedish maternity care is facing a double challenge: responding to a smaller number of births overall, but with more complex and intervention-heavy deliveries.
Sweden’s demographic shift in a Nordic and European context
The decline in Sweden’s birth rate mirrors a broader demographic development across the Nordic region and the European Union. Recent Nordic statistics show that fertility in Finland, Denmark and Norway has also fallen to around or below 1.4 children per woman, while EU-wide figures indicate that the average fertility rate fell to around 1.38 in 2023, the lowest level recorded so far. In many European countries, birth rates are now well below replacement level, raising concerns about the long-term balance between working-age adults and an ageing population.
In Sweden, population growth has in recent years relied increasingly on migration rather than births, even as the total number of residents continues to rise. This has implications for labour markets, pensions and public finances, but also for how family policy, childcare provision and gender equality measures are designed. Sweden already offers comparatively generous parental leave, subsidised childcare and support for work–life balance, yet fertility is still declining.
For Nordic and EU policymakers, the Swedish data underline a complex picture: fewer children are being born, pregnancies are becoming more medically demanding, and demographic ageing is accelerating. How Sweden and its Nordic neighbours respond—through family policy, health promotion, labour-market reforms and migration policy—will help shape the social model and welfare systems of the region in the coming decades.
