Catalonia facing the demographic challenge
For almost two decades, Catalonia has experienced a sustained decline in the number of births. The most recent data from Idescat are overwhelming: in 2024, 53,793 children were born, a far cry from the nearly 89,000 in 2008. The birth rate has fallen below 7 births per thousand inhabitants (6.4‰ in 2024), compared to just fifteen years ago. And the fertility rate has plummeted to 1.08 children per woman of childbearing age, from 1.53 in 2008. This is a profound transformation that places Catalonia among the regions with the lowest fertility rates in Europe and poses challenges for the country.
Why do we have so few children? The reasons are multiple and interconnected. Children are increasingly being born later: the average age of a mother's first child is now over 32, reducing the biological chances of having the desired number of children. Access to housing is difficult and expensive, and economic insecurity, especially among young people, delays family formation. The direct and indirect costs of raising children make many couples question whether they can afford more than one child. Added to this are long working hours, a limited supply of affordable childcare services, and a still insufficient work-life balance. There are also cultural and social factors: the increase in leisure options, the centrality of social networks, and changes in values and priorities have led more people to decide not to have children or to postpone them in order to prioritize careers and personal projects.
In the short term, a low birth rate may seem beneficial: there is less pressure on the environment and public resources, families can invest more time and money in each child, and women can maintain a more stable career path. But the medium- and long-term consequences are worrying. Catalonia is aging at an accelerated rate: the proportion of elderly people is growing, and the pension and healthcare system will have to support more dependents with fewer contributors. The lack of generational prominence could slow economic growth and increase dependence on immigration to maintain social dynamism.
To avoid a future with a progressively aging population and ever-increasing social and fiscal tensions, action is needed. A single measure is not enough; a package of policies that comprehensively address the barriers to having children is necessary. First, it is essential to expand and make quality childcare services more affordable. Early childhood education between ages 0 and 3 is still not universal and only recently has it become free from age one. Accessible, quality childcare services allow parents, particularly mothers, to advance in their careers without having to give up their jobs or be burdened with constant negotiations over childcare.
It is also necessary to continue improving the design of maternity and paternity leave. Co-responsibility will only be truly shared if the leaves are of equal duration, fully paid, non-transferable, and staggered in length to ensure the presence of both parents at different times. Recent research shows that the impact on the distribution of parenting tasks is still limited: this is why it is necessary to continue refining the model and encouraging a change in social norms that makes men co-protagonists in childrearing.
The way work is organized must also evolve. Flexible working hours and spaces favor work-life balance, and data shows that women highly value these options, to the point that they often accept slightly lower salaries in exchange for greater flexibility. These practices must be encouraged, but we must ensure that they do not reinforce the motherhood penalty: it is also essential to incentivize fathers to use them.
Finally, direct financial support per child and housing policies that facilitate access to affordable rentals can reduce crucial barriers to having children. But none of these policies will work if they are not accompanied by a cultural shift that normalizes fathers' involvement in childrearing tasks and shares the burden equitably.
The low birth rate is not just a statistic: it reflects the real difficulties many families face in developing their life plans. Reversing the trend will not be quick or easy, but it is essential to open the debate and act if we want to secure the country's future and guarantee that having children is a free and viable decision, not an insurmountable obstacle.
