For the second year in a row, the coronavirus pandemic appears to have had a significant impact on the number of births registered in the Netherlands. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) expects that up to 180.000 children will be born this year - the highest number recorded since 2011.
Last winter, the spring coronavirus lockdown led to a bit of a baby boom for many parts of the Netherlands. Once again this year, the pandemic and subsequent restrictions seem to have resulted in people spending more time with their partners or spouses. With little else to do during the various lockdowns, this has led to a sharp increase in the number of pregnancies in the Netherlands.
In the first nine months of 2021, 6.800 more babies were born than in the same period last year. Statisticians at CBS say that, if this trend has continued throughout the winter, as many as 180.000 children will be born in 2021.
Over the past 20 years, the Netherlands has seen a downward trend in the number of births. The last time the country experienced such a high number of births was in 2011. While this news is positive when it comes to balancing out the hurdles the country will face with an ageing population, schools and teachers are worried about what these births could mean for the future of the Dutch education system and childcare services.
According to the data, women in their thirties were especially more likely to become mothers in 2021. This year, 135 in 1.000 women between the ages of 30 and 35 are predicted to have become mothers, while 74 in 1.000 women aged 35 to 40 are expected to give birth.
“You see that, among women over 30, the baby boom has increased this year. That is exactly the group that postponed having a first child and corona probably accelerated the process of starting children a bit,” sociologist Tanja Traag explained to De Telegraaf.