Over the last decade, the average age at which women give birth to their first child has been constantly rising, as has the average age of motherhood (the average age at which women have any of their children, whether the first or not). In 2007, women became mothers at 29.3 years old, on average, now the average is 31 years. This trend, seen throughout the European Union, set alarm bells ringing, calling for an examination of the economic and material conditions faced by women of child-rearing age, the sharing of responsibilities in the home and the support provided by governments and society to families. All these factors may be linked to the postponing of motherhood and may complicate its viability in older women.

*Methodological note: In any given year, the average age of women at childbirth is calculated using age-based fertility rates (from 15 to 49 years).

Gender in figures

Observatori_iQ

Observatori iQ

iQ is a cooperative that seeks to contribute to social innovation in favor of gender equality. The cooperative offers the iQ Observatory, a platform that delivers statistical data on the differences and inequalities between men and women in different areas of everyday life in Catalonia. iQ team is made up of professionals with several profiles and is led by the political scientist Maria de la Fuente.