**EU Faces Fertility Crisis: Births Plunge to Record Low**

For the first time since 1960, the European Union has seen a dramatic drop in live births, with the number falling below 4 million. In 2022, only 3.88 million babies were born across the EU.

The EU's average fertility rate has now sunk to 1.46, significantly lower than the global average of 2.27.

Countries such as Malta (1.08), Spain (1.16), Italy (1.24), Greece (1.32), and Cyprus (1.37) report some of the lowest fertility rates in Europe.

The decline is stark, with live births plummeting from 5.1 million in 1990 to this historic low.