Births in 2026: the decline continues. From January to September, 478,277 babies were born in France, 1.1% fewer than over the same period in 2025, according to Insee, France's national statistics office. The fall is slowing compared with previous years, but no month has yet reversed the trend for good.
Every month, Insee publishes the number of births based on the civil registration records sent in by town halls. The latest update, released on 29 October 2026, covers September. Here is what these figures tell us, and what they don't tell us yet.
Births in 2026: how many babies since January?
In September 2026, 52,405 children were born in France, an average of 1,747 births a day. That is 2.1% fewer than in September 2025, which recorded 53,527. Since 1 January, a total of 478,277 births have been registered, compared with 483,810 a year earlier: 5,533 fewer babies.
These figures are provisional. Not all birth records have been sent in yet, and Insee revises the current year's data every month. August, for example, was revised upwards by 0.05% in the October release.
Births in 2026, month by month
- January: 54,393
- February: 48,348
- March: 52,350
- April: 50,824
- May: 54,255, the only month up year on year, by 0.7%
- June: 53,916
- July: 57,217, almost identical to July 2025
- August: 54,569
- September: 52,405
The differences between months are partly down to the calendar: a 31-day month naturally counts more births than a 30-day month. That is why Insee also publishes a daily average, which is easier to compare from one month to the next.
A slower decline than between 2022 and 2024
Over the first nine months, the 2026 decline remains moderate compared with previous years. Insee's data series show how far things have shifted:
- 2016: 783,640 births over the year;
- 2021: 742,052;
- 2022: 725,997;
- 2023: 677,803;
- 2024: 660,787;
- 2025: 643,905, now a final figure.
Between 2016 and 2025, France lost almost 18% of its annual births. The September daily average fell from 2,173 births in 2021 to 1,747 in 2026, roughly a fifth fewer in five years.
Natural population change turned negative in 2025
In January 2026, Insee established that in 2025 France's natural population change was negative for the first time since the end of the Second World War. In other words, the country recorded more deaths than births. Our article on the birth rate in France in 2025 looks at this demographic report in detail.
Are births falling everywhere in France?
Since 2025, Insee has assigned each birth to the mother's region of residence rather than to the place where she gave birth. This change gives a more accurate picture of where families actually live.
Among the regions with the most births, the January to September 2026 total is down by 0.9% in Hauts-de-France and by 0.6% in Île-de-France. It is slightly lower in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, by 0.4%. A breakdown by region and département is available in Insee's downloadable file.
What these figures don't tell us
The number of births depends on two factors: the number of women of childbearing age and their fertility. Monthly data can't separate the two. The 2026 total fertility rate will only be known with the annual demographic report, which Insee publishes in mid-January.
Nor do these figures say anything about the personal reasons behind choosing to have a child, or about the gap between two births. On that last point, our article on the age gap between two children brings together the available data.
Upcoming release dates
- October 2026 births: Thursday 26 November 2026, at 12 noon.
- 2026 demographic report, with the year's number of births and fertility: mid-January 2027.
What changes for families expecting a baby
Fewer births don't change parents' rights. Support linked to the arrival of a child continues to be paid under its own rules. Our guide to the 2026 birth grant sets out the amount and payment timetable. The additional birth leave now comes on top of maternity and paternity leave.
To prepare for the first year, our estimate of the baby budget for the first year separates the essentials from what can wait. And if you haven't chosen a name yet, the ranking of the most popular names in 2025 shows the current trends.
Key takeaways
- 478,277 births in France from January to September 2026, 1.1% fewer than in 2025.
- 52,405 births in September 2026, down 2.1% year on year.
- 643,905 births in 2025, compared with 783,640 in 2016.
- Natural population change turned negative in 2025, a first since the end of the Second World War.
- The 2026 figures are provisional; October births will be published on 26 November.
Sources
- Insee, “Septembre 2026 – Des naissances moins nombreuses qu'en septembre 2025”, Naissances mensuelles depuis janvier 2024, chiffres détaillés, 29 October 2026.
- Insee, “Août 2026 – Un nombre de naissances plus faible qu'en août 2025”, 1 October 2026.
- Insee, “Démographie : évolutions récentes et à venir”, dossier “2027 : la statistique publique au service des débats”, 15 October 2026, citing Insee Première no. 2087 of January 2026.
