21,817 live births In 2008 the number of live births has for the first time since 1991 exceeded 21,000. Last year 21,817 children (11,126 boys and 10,691 girls) were born alive, which is 1,994 (10%) more than a year before. Since 2003 when we registered the lowest number of live-born children, the number has been slowly growing. 10.8 children per 1,000 population were born last year (9.8 in 2007).
The total fertility rate, which is the average number of live born children per one woman in her reproductive age (at the present mortality rate and on the assumption that the woman will reach her 49th birthday) was 1.53 in 2008. This is the highest value in the last twenty years. Despite that the fertility of population is still below the replacement rate.
The mean age of mother at birth of child reached 30 years of age Although the fertility in Slovenia has been on the rise since 2003 compared to previous decades, women have fewer children and the decision to become a mother is postponed, too. The process of postponing motherhood in 2008 still has not finished. In 2008, mothers were on average 30 years old. First-time mothers averaged 28.4 years in age. Both values are the highest mean ages after World War II.
The most fertile group of women in 2008 were those aged 28-31 years. In 2008 only a fifth (21.9%) of women who gave birth for the first time were under 25 years of age, while 7.3% of women giving birth for the first time were aged 35 years or over.
A half of children were firstborn
In 2008, almost a half of births (49.5%) were first order births and over a third (36.3%) were second order births. Every tenth child was third-born. In 2008, 85.5% of all births were first and second order births.
52.9% children born out of wedlock In 2007, the number of live births out of wedlock exceeded a half for the first time. In 2008, the share even increased, to 52.9%. Marriage is no longer the predominant family form in Slovenia. Among mothers who gave birth in 2008, only at the age of 30 years the share of married mothers prevailed over the share of those who were not married.
The share of unmarried first-time mothers in 2008 was over 50% in all ages. Almost two thirds (65%) of first-born children in 2008 were born to unmarried mothers.
Lana and Luka again Like in 2007, boys (370 or 3.3%) were most frequently named Luka and girls (327 or 3.1%) were most frequently named Lana.
Luka remains the most popular boys' name in Slovenia for the tenth year. Among boys born in 2008 the names Jan, Nejc and Nik appeared with approximately the same frequency (among 271 and 275 times). Other popular names for boys were Žiga, Žan, Jakob, Jaka and Matic.
On the top 20 list of boys' names compared to a year before only one change happened: the name Lan appeared in the 20
th place.
296 boys got a combined name, 818 were given a unique name.
Beside Lana, the most popular names for girls were also Sara, Eva, Nika, Ana, Lara, Neža and Zala. Each fifth girl born in 2008 had one of these names.
Compared to the previous year, four new names entered the top 20 most popular girls' names: Zoja, Kaja, Manca and Pia, whereas names Neja, Živa, Lea and Anja disappeared.
Short names are still in fashion. On the top 10 list of girls' names, only the name Julija has more than five letters, the next (Lucija) was placed 30
th.
878 girls were given a unique name. 388 girls got a combined name.
Live born children according to the 1996 and 2008 definitions of population With the publication of data on population for 2008 the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia introduced a new statistical definition of population. Data on live births in 2008 are published according to the changed definition of population. Data are collected according to the place of event but results are published according to the usual residence, i.e. residence of the mother and/or father at the time of the child's birth.
In 2008, according to the old definition of population (published in 1996), 23 more children were born, together 21,840 (11,140 boys and 10,700 girls). On average 10.7 children per 1,000 population were born.
The mean age of mother at first birth and all births regardless of birth order according to the old definition remained unchanges also according to the 2008 definition: 28.4 years for the first birth and 30.0 years for all births.
No changes in family forms in which children were born were recorded: 47.1% children were born to married mothers and 52.9% were born out of wedlock.
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