More people are getting born, married – and subsequently divorced – in Switzerland.
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However, the number of deaths in 2010 remained relatively stable, the Federal Statistics Office announced on Thursday.
A total of 80,300 children were born last year – an increase of 2.6 per cent on 2009. The average first-time mother was 30 or older. Since 2001, the number of first-time mothers over 35 has gone up by 45 per cent.
In 2010, 43,300 couples tied the knot in Switzerland – up 3.2 per cent on the previous year. Another 700 opted for a registered partnership, about 17 per cent fewer than in 2009. Some 69 per cent of those couples were gay men.
The 22,100 cases of divorce reflected a 14.3 per cent rise. The average divorcee had been married for 14.5 years.
Life expectancy is also on the rise. The men finally cracked the octogenarian league, climbing from 79.8 years (2009) to 80.1 (2010). Women living in Switzerland can now expect to hit 84.5, a slight increase over 2009’s 84.4 years.
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