There were 4,034 live births in Iceland in 2016. The number of boys was 2,042 and girls 1,992, i.e. 1,025 boys for every 1,000 girls. In 2016, the total fertility rate was 1.75, compared with 1.81 in 2015. The total fertility rate in Iceland has never been so low. The total fertility rate peaked during the late 1950s and early 1960s, was 4.27 in 1960 and 4.24 in 1959.
Most births in Reykjavik
The majority of new born children were registered with domicile in Reykjavík (1,555), Kópavogur (470) and Hafnarfjörður (363). Most births in 2016 occurred in the month of September (385) and fewest in December (283). In 2015, the majority of children were born in July (385) and fewest in December (297).
Age-specific fertility rate
The age of mothers at the birth of a child has increased in recent decades. The mean age of primparas in 2016 was 27.7 years, compared with less than 22 years in the 1970s. The mean age of mothers was 30.4 years in 2016. Age-specific fertility rate is highest for women aged 25 to 29. Women in that age group had 109 children per 1,000 women in 2016.
One third born to parents in wedlock
Two thirds of the children born in 2016 were born out of wedlock. However, the majority of children were born to parents in a consensual union (54.0%), while 15.5% were born to parents who were not living together. A third (30.4%) was born to married couples.
