The National Institute of Statistics reported on Wednesday a sharp decline in births in Chile over the past three decades. The data show the total fertility rate fell below one child per woman for the first time.
According to the Demographic Panorama in Chile report, based on vital statistics for 2025, births fell from 275,916 in 1993 to 146,446 in 2025. This represents a 46.9% reduction over 32 years.
The total fertility rate dropped 59.4% in the same period and stood at 0.99 live births per woman. The average age of mothers at childbirth rose from 27 years in 1993 to 30 years in 2025.
The study also indicates that the proportion of foreign mothers grew 2.9 times between 2017 and 2025, rising from 6.9% to 19.7% of live births. The data come from joint work by the INE, the Civil Registry and Identification Service and the Ministry of Health.