The average age of parturients is still rising: A quarter of parturients are over 35 years old
In 2021, the mean age of all parturients was 31.6 years and the average age of primiparas was 30.0 years. In ten years, the average age has risen by about a year. Of all parturients, 25.8 per cent were over 35 years old. The share of under-20-year-olds was 1.1 per cent.
The average age of primiparas was highest in the Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District (31.1 years) and lowest in the Western Ostrobothnia Hospital District (28.0 years).
‘Even though many southern European countries have more births aged 35 or over, Finland's share has grown faster than in the EU countries on average in recent years,’ says Mika Gissler, Research Professor at National Institute for Health and Welfare.
The rising average age of parturients is also reflected in the increasing incidence of procedures during pregnancy and childbirth. In 2021, 25.4 per cent of pregnancies in over 35-year-olds resulted in Caesarean surgery, which was about eight percentage points more than in younger women giving birth. All in all, 19.6 per cent of the deliveries were completed as Caesarean surgery.
Smoking during pregnancy decreases, and the number of overweight parturients is increasing
In 2021, 7.9 per cent of parturients smoked during early pregnancy. Of all women who smoked during pregnancy, 56.4 per cent quit smoking during the first trimester, compared with 39.2 per cent over the past ten years.
In 2021, the average body mass index (BMI) was 25.7. The BMI before childbirth has increased by about one kilogram over the past ten years. Of all parturients, 45.3 per cent were overweight (BMI ≥ 25.0) and 18.4 per cent obese (BMI ≥ 30).
‘Obesity causes significant risks during pregnancy. Overweight before pregnancy increases the risk of diabetes and rising blood pressure (pre-eclampsia) during pregnancy. Caesarean operations are also performed more often for overweight patients,’ says Mika Gissler.
According to preliminary data, the number of deliveries will decrease again
In 2021, 49,726 children were born in Finland, 6.6 per cent more than in 2020. The number of children born decreased continuously from 2011 but started to increase in 2020.
However, according to the preliminary data of the population of Statistics Finland in 2022, the number of children born this year seems to be clearly decreasing by -9.2 per cent in January-October 2022 from the same date in the previous year.
Read more in Perinatal statistics - parturients, delivers and newborns 2021
Further information
Mika Gissler
Research Professor
tel. +358 29 524 7279
[email protected]
Anna Heino
Senior Planning Officer
tel. +358 29 524 7177
[email protected]
