Knowledge Over-30s triggered the coronavirus baby boom in Switzerland
Women over 30 drove the Swiss baby boom during the coronavirus pandemic. This is the conclusion reached by researchers at the University of Zurich (UZH) in a new study.
11.03.2025, 11:30
SDA
Switzerland experienced a temporary increase in the birth rate in 2021. More children were born in Switzerland than at any time since 1972. For a study published on Tuesday in the journal "Population Studies", researchers at UZH examined the impact of the pandemic on Swiss birth rates in more detail.
In the first year of the pandemic in 2020 in particular, during and shortly after the shutdown measures, more births were recorded, as explained by UZH in a press release on the study. As a result, up to 13 percent more births were recorded than expected.
The increase in the birth rate was particularly pronounced among Swiss women over the age of 30, according to the study. This was particularly the case for those who already had children.
Time at home and work-life balance
The exact reasons for this short-term boom are not yet clear, according to the researchers. However, there is much to suggest that time at home and a better work-life balance during the pandemic led to pregnancies being brought forward.
According to the UZH, only France showed a similar trend in an international comparison. Germany, Austria and Italy, on the other hand, did not show such a pronounced increase in births as Switzerland. After this temporary increase, however, the previous negative trend in the birth rate in Switzerland also continued more strongly from February 2022.
