Study examines Covid-19 baby boom in Switzerland
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Study examines Covid-19 baby boom in Switzerland
Women over 30 fuelled the Swiss baby boom during the Covid-19 pandemic. This is the conclusion reached by researchers at the University of Zurich (UZH) in a new study.
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There was a temporary increase in the birth rate in Switzerland in 2021. More children were born in Switzerland than at any time since 1972. For a study published on Tuesday in the journal Population Studies, researchers at UZH analysed the impact of the pandemic on Swiss birth rates in more detail.
In the first year of the pandemic in 2020 in particular, during and shortly after the shutdown measures, more births were recorded, as explained by UZH in a press release on the study. As a result, up to 13% more births were recorded than expected.
The increase in the birth rate was particularly pronounced among Swiss women over the age of 30, according to the study. This was particularly the case for those who already had children.
Time at home and work-life balance
According to the researchers, the exact reasons for this short-term boom are not yet clear. However, there is much to suggest that time at home and a better work-life balance during the pandemic led to earlier pregnancies.
According to UZH, only France showed a similar trend in an international comparison. Germany, Austria and Italy, on the other hand, did not show such a pronounced increase in births as Switzerland. However, following this temporary increase, the previous negative trend in the birth rate in Switzerland also intensified again from February 2022.
Translated from German by DeepL/jdp
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