Bump to slump

Betty Henderson

SPAIN’S low birthrate remains a concern according to the latest report by the National Institute for Statistics (INE). The report found that Spain’s birth rate fell in the first four months of 2023.

Just 103,443 newborns entered the world from January to April 2023, marking a drop of 1.75 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Spain has seen a downward trend in births since 2016 when 132,045 births were recorded. The first trimester of 2023 has seen the lowest birth rates in eight years.

Asturias, Navarra, Murcia and Cantabria experienced the sharpest decline in birth rates compared to the previous year, with more than 7 per cent less births in Asturias.

On the other hand, Madrid and Aragon stand as the only regions defying the down­

Illegal animal traders held

OFFICERS of the Guardia Civil have arrested six people involved in the illegal trafficking of protected species such as big cats between Spain and France.

Spain’s birth rate has been in decline for several years.

ward trend. In fact, Aragon experienced somewhat of a baby boom in the first trimester of 2023, with figures increasing 7 per cent on last year’s data.

While the news may cause concern in some respects, some experts say that this is actually good news as much of the world grapples with the threat of overpopulation in coming years.