There were 4,071 live births in Iceland in 2017. The number of boys was 2,112 and girls 1,959, i.e. 1,078 boys for every 1,000 girls. In 2017, the total fertility rate was 1.71, compared with 1.75 in 2016. 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 (1,536), Kópavogur (441) and Hafnarfjörður (360). Most births in 2017 occurred in the month of August (379) and fewest in February (278). In 2016, the majority of children were born in September (385) and fewest in December (283).
Age-specific fertility rate
The age of mothers at the birth of a child has increased in recent decades. The mean age of primiparas in 2017 was 27.8 years, compared with less than 22 years in the 1970s. The mean age of mothers in 2017 was the same as in 2016 (30.4 years). Age-specific fertility rate is highest for women aged 25 to 29. Women in that age group had 108 children per 1,000 women in 2017.
One third born to parents in wedlock
Little over 71% of the children born in 2017 were born out of wedlock. However, the majority of children were born to parents in a consensual union (56.4%), while 14.8% were born to parents who were not living together. Close to a third (28.8%) were born to married couples.
