The average age of childbearing in Malta has steadily increased from 28.5 years in 1996 to 31.4 years in 2022, official data from the National Statistics Office (NSO) reveal.

Malta’s average age of mothers is just 0.8 years lower than that of Luxembourg, which had the highest average age in the European Union in 2022, at 32.2 years. On the other hand, Bulgaria had the youngest average age of mothers, at 27.8 years, according to Statista, a German online portal that specialises in collecting and visualising statistics.

A significant drop in pregnancies among minors can be observed over the past 25 years. In 1996, 236 babies were born to mothers aged between 11 and 19, while this number declined to 106 in 2022. Notably, there were 80 children born to mothers aged between 10 and 14 over this period, with the highest number recorded in 2008 (8 births), and the lowest registered in 2011, 2014, 2021, and 2022, with no births at all.

In contrast, the number of births from mothers aged 40 or over has increased significantly. In 1996, there were 134 births in this category, while the number rose to 232 in 2022. This trend may be attributed to advancements in IVF and fertility treatments, which are making it more feasible for women to conceive at later ages.

Over the past 25 years, a total of 12 babies have been born to women aged 50 or over, with the highest number of births occurring in a single year being four in 2022.

Looking at the broader picture, a few weeks ago The Journal carried an article that confirmed how the number of live births in Malta has been declining over the past generation. The 5,000 birth mark has never been achieved again since 1996, which saw 5,038 deliveries. The lowest number of births in these past 25 years, 3,765, was registered in 2007.

Photo: Amina Filkins