France overtook Ireland as the fertility champion of Europe in 2007 but a majority of babies are now being born out of wedlock, according to new census figures released on Tuesday.
With 1.98 children per woman, France's fertility rate is now ahead of Ireland on 1.90, according to the latest government figures, and well above the European Union average of 1.52.
Babies born to unmarried couples represented 50.5 percent of all French births in 2007, compared to 48.4 percent the previous year and merely 5.9 percent in 1965, according to the French national statistics institute INSEE.
Sociologist Irene Thery told Le Parisien newspaper this was the "logical outcome of a major revolution... Gradually, it's the child who has come to make the family, not the marriage."
Pro-birth public policies, including free universal public schooling from the age of three, and the childcare subsidies for infants are credited in part with the increase in fertility.
With a total of 816,500 babies born last year, France's fertility rate has dipped slightly since 2006, however, when it passed the symbolic mark of two children per woman.
The average age of first-time mothers, rising year on year, stood at 29.8 years.
France's overall population -- comprising mainland France and overseas territories -- totalled 63.753 million on January 1, 2008, swelling by 400,000 since the previous year.
But despite a high fertility rate, the French population continued to age, with over 65 year-olds making up 16.3 percent of the total, compared to 15 percent in 1994.
French women had Europe's longest life expectancy, with a girl born in 2007 expected to live 84.4 years, and a boy 77.5 years -- a three-month increase on 2006 in both cases.
(Agencies)
With 1.98 children per woman, France's fertility rate is now ahead of Ireland on 1.90, according to the latest government figures, and well above the European Union average of 1.52.
Babies born to unmarried couples represented 50.5 percent of all French births in 2007, compared to 48.4 percent the previous year and merely 5.9 percent in 1965, according to the French national statistics institute INSEE.
Sociologist Irene Thery told Le Parisien newspaper this was the "logical outcome of a major revolution... Gradually, it's the child who has come to make the family, not the marriage."
Pro-birth public policies, including free universal public schooling from the age of three, and the childcare subsidies for infants are credited in part with the increase in fertility.
With a total of 816,500 babies born last year, France's fertility rate has dipped slightly since 2006, however, when it passed the symbolic mark of two children per woman.
The average age of first-time mothers, rising year on year, stood at 29.8 years.
France's overall population -- comprising mainland France and overseas territories -- totalled 63.753 million on January 1, 2008, swelling by 400,000 since the previous year.
But despite a high fertility rate, the French population continued to age, with over 65 year-olds making up 16.3 percent of the total, compared to 15 percent in 1994.
French women had Europe's longest life expectancy, with a girl born in 2007 expected to live 84.4 years, and a boy 77.5 years -- a three-month increase on 2006 in both cases.
(Agencies)
据本周二公布的最新人口普查数据，法国取代爱尔兰，成为2007年欧洲“生育冠军”，但其中大多数为非婚生儿。
据政府最新统计数据，去年法国的生育率为1.98（每个妇女平均生子数量），超过了爱尔兰的1.9，同时大大高出欧盟的平均水平1.52。
根据法国国家统计局的统计数据，去年法国的非婚生儿数量占新生儿总数的50.5%，而前一年的这一比例为48.4%，1965年仅为5.9%。
社会学家艾恩•特里在接受《巴黎人报》的采访时说，“这是一个重大变革带来的必然结果。……如今，孩子渐渐成为构建家庭的决定因素，而不再是婚姻。”
政府出台的各项鼓励生育的政策是法国生育率上升的一部分原因，法国儿童从三岁起就可享受免费公立教育，而且生育家庭可获得新生儿津贴。
去年法国新生儿数量达到81.65万，但出生率略低于2006年。2006年法国出生率突破了“2”这一具有象征意义的大关。
法国女性头胎生育的平均年龄逐年上升，目前已达到29.8岁。
截至2008年1月1日，法国总人口（包括法国大陆和海外领土）数量达到6375.3万，比前一年增加了40万。
尽管生育率较高，但法国的老龄化趋势仍在继续，去年65岁以上人口占总人口数量的16.3%，而1994年为15%。
法国女性的平均预期寿命位居欧洲各国之首，去年，法国女性和男性的预期寿命分别为84.4岁和77.5岁，均比2006年增加了三个月。
据政府最新统计数据，去年法国的生育率为1.98（每个妇女平均生子数量），超过了爱尔兰的1.9，同时大大高出欧盟的平均水平1.52。
根据法国国家统计局的统计数据，去年法国的非婚生儿数量占新生儿总数的50.5%，而前一年的这一比例为48.4%，1965年仅为5.9%。
社会学家艾恩•特里在接受《巴黎人报》的采访时说，“这是一个重大变革带来的必然结果。……如今，孩子渐渐成为构建家庭的决定因素，而不再是婚姻。”
政府出台的各项鼓励生育的政策是法国生育率上升的一部分原因，法国儿童从三岁起就可享受免费公立教育，而且生育家庭可获得新生儿津贴。
去年法国新生儿数量达到81.65万，但出生率略低于2006年。2006年法国出生率突破了“2”这一具有象征意义的大关。
法国女性头胎生育的平均年龄逐年上升，目前已达到29.8岁。
截至2008年1月1日，法国总人口（包括法国大陆和海外领土）数量达到6375.3万，比前一年增加了40万。
尽管生育率较高，但法国的老龄化趋势仍在继续，去年65岁以上人口占总人口数量的16.3%，而1994年为15%。
法国女性的平均预期寿命位居欧洲各国之首，去年，法国女性和男性的预期寿命分别为84.4岁和77.5岁，均比2006年增加了三个月。
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