The number of babies born in Switzerland has fallen to the lowest level in 20 years, according to the latest data from the Federal Statistical Office.
Experts believe that financial struggles or lifestyle choices might be the cause.
There were 82,000 births in the country in 2022, a drop of 8.5% compared to 2021. Since 2010, the number of children born per woman has fluctuated at around 1.5, but last year this figure fell to 1.39, below the European average.
Valérie-Anne Ryser, Doctor of Social Sciences at the University of Lausanne, says that there are many possible explanations for the falling birth rate. One is that the pandemic and resulting economic difficulties for some sectors of society has led to people putting off starting or growing families.
She also believes that a lack of flexibility in family policy in Switzerland means that women tend to bear responsibility for childcare, which makes it difficult for them to balance professional and family lives. She also says that the decline in the birth rate could be down to a deliberate choice not to have children.
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