230,537 babies were born in Spain during the first six months of 2011, 1.1% fewer than during the same period a year earlier, continuing the fall in birth rate that began in 2009.

The average age for a woman to have a baby in Spain is now 31.3 years.  According to the latest figures from the National Institute of Statistics on Natural Population Movement, published today, the average number of children per woman has not changed since 2011 and remains stable at 1.38.

Although the average age for having a baby is 31.3, differences have emerged between Spaniards, who are a 32 on average, and foreign residents where the average age is slightly lower, at 28.8 years.

Figures from the first half of 2011 showed that life expectancy was 78.8 for men and 84.8 for women.