Over-45s in Denmark giving birth more than teens

Increased use of contraception and improved fertility the main causes, explains expert

Apr 4, 2023

For the first time in Danish history, over-45s are giving birth to more children than teens, according to Danmarks Statistik.

In 2022, the over-45s gave birth to 220 children – 23 more than the total provided by mothers aged 19 or lower.

Some 50 years ago in 1973, the year in which Danmarks Statistik started collecting such data, teenage mothers gave birth to 4,708 children.

Back then, the average age of a first-time mother was 24. Today it is 29.9.

Contraception and fertility
There’s a good reason for the fall in teenage mothers, University of Southern Denmark expert Ryohei Mogi told Berlingske: contraception!

“The use of contraception and the spread and level of education play a decisive role. Fewer people want to have children while they are studying, so they wait until they have a job,” he said.

While the rise in over-45s giving birth can easily be explained by improvements in fertility treatment, added Mogi.

In 2021, the healthcare system presided over 37,560 fertility treatments, according to Sundhedsdatastyrelsen figures.

TOP STORIES

Gangs of Copenhagen

While Copenhagen is rated one of the safest cities in the world year after year, it is no stranger to organized crime, which often springs from highly professional syndicates operating from the shadows of the capital. These are the most important criminal groups active in the city
“The Danish underworld is now more tied to Scandinavia”

Carsten Norton is the author of several books about crime and gangs in Denmark, a journalist, and a crime specialist for Danish media such as TV 2 and Ekstra Bladet.
Right wing parties want nuclear power in Denmark

For 40 years, there has been a ban on nuclear power in Denmark. This may change after all right-wing parties in the Danish Parliament have expressed a desire to remove the ban.
Tunø: An island running out of time

The island of Tunø harbors a community of 74 adults and one child. There are no cars and only one connection to the rest of the world. Now, climate change threatens it
Cross-border moves on the rise in the Øresund region

The number of relocations across the Øresund Region is rising. As highlighted by 2023 numbers, Sweden benefits from a growing interest, especially among younger generations.
In conversation with Conrad Molden: The man behind the mic

He’s tickled our funny bone with countless wisecracks and clever wordplay, and in the process, made Denmark feel a little more personable to many expats. An international import himself, funny man Conrad Molden has successfully carved out a niche for himself on the Danish stand-up scene, but it’s taken a solid 13 years, much trial and error, and heaps of Danglish

Connect club

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.

Career

Inside Denmark’s innovation engine

With half of its staff being international, the BioInnovation Institute reflects Denmark’s broader transformation into a global innovation hub. But can the country—and Europe—keep up the pace? “If reforms are made now, we can close the gap in ten years,” explains BII’s CEO
International designers struggle to find jobs in Denmark

Many internationals come to Denmark to work as designers, but the field appears to be one of the hardest to break into. The Copenhagen Post spoke with two internationals struggling to find their way into the industry.
This rural town in Denmark has a 17 percent international workforce — Here’s how

With a low unemployment rate and aging population, the municipality is actively recruiting workers from abroad to fill essential roles and support long-term growth