Birth data for 2022 point to some stabilization. According to the report prepared by the Local Development Observatory of the Regional Council based on data published by the Institute of Statistics of Catalonia (IDESCAT), Maresme registered 3,166 births last year, with a slight increase of 0.06% compared to to 2021.
This trend contrasts with the Catalan one, which experienced a decrease of 2.2%. On the other hand, the reading is turned around if the crude birth rate is analyzed, which is the demographic indicator that quantifies the number of births with respect to the population of a territory. Thus, the gross birth rate of Maresme is 6.8 births per 1,000 inhabitants, lower than the Catalan rate, which is 7.2. In fact, Maresme occupies 22nd position in the ranking of births in Catalonia.
The statistical report presented by the Local Development Observatory also includes information regarding the fertility rate (an indicator that relates the number of births to the population of women of childbearing age, limiting this to the 15 to 49 age group). At the Maresme level, the fertility rate is 31.5 per thousand, with substantial differences if age groups are segmented.
In this sense, the fertility rate by age group shows how women are increasingly delaying motherhood. In fact, in the last 40 years, peak fertility has gone from 24 to 34 years. In 2022, the highest fertility rate was among those in Maresme aged between 30 and 34 years, followed by women between 35 and 39 years old.
Half of the 30 municipalities of Maresme have registered an increase in the number of births compared to the previous year, highlighting, in relative terms, the increases registered in Santa Susanna (46.7%; 7 more babies), Dosrius (38.5% ; 15 more babies) and Cabrera de Mar (37.0%; 10 more babies). In comparison 10 years ago, there are only three municipalities that have increased birth rates. They are: Sant Pol de Mar (57.1%), Cabrera de Mar (48.0%) and Caldes d'Estrac (26.3%).
On the other hand, Dosrius is the municipality with the highest gross birth rate (9.3 babies per 1,000 inhabitants). They are followed by Caldes d'Estrac, Sant Iscle de Vallalta and Vilassar de Dalt with a rate of 7.6‰ in all three cases. At the low level are located Òrrius, Sant Vicenç de Montalt and Cabrils with rates of 5.0‰, 5.2‰ and 5.5‰, respectively.
As for the general fertility rate, Dosrius is the municipality with the highest at 40.0‰, followed by Vilassar de Dalt (36.0‰) and Sant Iscle de Vallalta (35.9‰). Also in this case, Òrrius, Sant Vicenç de Montalt and Cabrils have the lowest; 20.5‰, 24.5‰ and 25.2‰, respectively.
Júlia remains alone as the most popular name among girls in Maresme. Ona, who the previous year shared first place, has moved to second position, equaling Mia. Martina is in fourth place.
As for the children, Nil unseats Jan from first position and Pol rises to third place. Àlex/Álex (in its double Catalan-Spanish version) and Arnau follow.
