Last year, 77,296 children were born in Austria. That is 6.5 percent less than in 2022 and even 10.2 percent less than the average of the years before the pandemic. In contrast, there were 88,744 deaths, meaning 11,448 fewer people were born than died. There were also fewer weddings (minus 2,534), but more divorces.
According to Tobias Thomas, Managing Director of Statistics Austria, the preliminary number of deaths in 2023 was 7.1 percent above the five-year average before the start of the corona pandemic in 2019.
Taking into account the increased population and changes in age structure, even without the pandemic, more deaths would have been expected in the previous year than in the years 2015 to 2019.
Birth shortage for the fourth time in a row
The final number of deaths should be slightly higher – estimated at around 90,000 – partly due to late registrations. Significantly fewer late registrations (300 – 500) are expected for births. This means that Austria has a birth shortage for the fourth time in a row.
The decline in births is greatest in Tyrol
Compared to 2022, there was a significant decrease in the number of births in all states. This was strongest in Tyrol with minus 9.2 percent, followed by Upper Austria and Burgenland with minus 7.8 percent each. In Styria and Vorarlberg the number of newborns fell the least (minus 3.3 percent each).
The preliminary balance between live births and deaths was positive in three states in 2023, most pronounced in Vienna (plus 1226). However, in six states there were fewer newborns than deaths, especially in Lower Austria (min 5,518), Styria (min 3,138) and Carinthia (min 2,242).
Slightly more divorces, fewer weddings
44,948 couples tied the knot, 2,534 fewer than in 2022 (minus 5.3 percent), bringing the number of civil marriages back to the level of the years before Corona. At the same time, 14,033 marriages ended in divorce.
The largest drops in the number of weddings were recorded in Salzburg (minus 8.8 percent), followed by Carinthia (minus 8.4 percent) and Styria (minus 7.5 percent). Only in Burgenland were slightly more marriages (plus 0.5 percent) concluded than in 2022.
The possibility of same-sex marriage, which has existed since 2019, was 2.4 percent less in 2023 than the year before. There were a total of 772 couples: 359 men and 413 women.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
