759,000 births in France in 2018: 12,000 from a teenage mother

In 2018, 759,000 babies were born in France. Less than 2% of them have a teenage mother, born after 1998. This percentage has declined slightly over the past 30 years after having fallen sharply in the 1970s and 1980s, as a result of laws authorizing medical contraception and abortion.

Early births are more frequent in the Overseas départements and in northern France. Women born in North Africa and in China very rarely have a child before the age of 20. Teenage motherhood is more frequent for those born in Romania.

Percentage of early births in France is slightly lower than the European average. The United Kingdom is the only country in Western Europe where this share is above average.