EU country crisis as birth rate hits lowest rate since 1960

Figures in Romania have revealed that less than 150,000 babies were born last year, marking the country’s lowest birth rate in a century.

A vast number of villages in Romania are registering an ageing population and in the urban areas, many people are prioritising their careers and choosing to have children at a later age.

As a result of the low rates, some schools and preschools in villages, including Chilia and Brebu, had to shut their doors because of the lack of children available to attend courses.

“There is no school here anymore,” said Alexandru Petzi, former manager of a closed school in Brebu, “There is another school in another village nearby, in Valic. There are two children from our village who go to school there.”

Despite the record-breaking low, Romanian specialists are labelling the changes as a normal process.

Romanian Academy sociologist Bogdan Voicu highlighted that trend isn’t exclusive to Romania. “I myself wouldn’t be afraid of this, we are talking about a process underway in many European countries,” says Romanian Academy sociologist Bogdan Voicu.

“Romania has started a couple years ago to modernise, demographically speaking,” he added.

It is not only the villages being impacted, the figures show that Romanian muncipalities including Tulcea, Caras Severin, Mehedinti, Covasna, Teleorman and Giurgiu are also on the list with notably low natality rates.

So as well as the population dramatically decreasing, it is also ageing and experts put it down to multiple factors – the increasing average age, decreasing birth rates and the improved access to medical care, leading to higher life expectancy.

A higher life expectancy should be celebrated. However, partnered with the low birth rates, the rising ageing population will cause a few issues for Romania.

It will impact the growth of the economy due to a reduction in the labour force and the state budget will also be hit with a huge reduction in tax revenues.

Nearly a hundred years ago, in 1930, Romania registered over 480,000 births, but regarding its future, Romania-insider.com reported that 2031 would be the year that marks the point in which the number of elderly people will surpass younger people, and from then, the gap between the two generations will deepen even further.