Norwegian women gave birth to more babies last year than they have for 37 years, and fertility statistics are suddenly among the highest in Europe.
State statistics bureau SSB reports that Norwegian women gave birth to 61,800 babies in Norway in 2009, up from 60,500 in 2009. The number of births was the highest since 1972.
The birthrate gives a collective fertility rate among Norwegian women of 1.98, which SSB says is among the highest in Europe. To avoid a population decline, the fertility rate needs to be 2.1, according to SSB.
Fully six counties in Norway attained that higher rate, reports SSB. The highest fertility rate in Norway was found in Rogaland on the west coast, at 2.18, while the lowest was in Telemark, at 1.79.
Meanwhile, SSB also reported that fully 40 percent of all households in Norway are made up of people who live alone. That’s up from 34 percent in 1990. One out of every five Norwegians lives alone, while around 60 percent live as a couple.
The highest rate of single-person households was found in Oslo. SSB reported that 29 percent of all Oslo residents live alone, and single-person households make up roughly half of all households in the capital.
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