The number of births in Greece in 2015 was 10.2 percent lower than those in 2001, according to figures published on Wednesday by the European Commission’s statistical agency, Eurostat.

The data show that 102,282 children were born in Greece in 2001 but this number fell to 91,847 in 2015. This was the fifth highest relative fall in the European Union during this period.

In the EU as a whole, 40,217 more babies were born in 2015 than in 2001, which is an increase of 0.8 percent. The largest increases were in Sweden (+25.6 percent), the Czech Republic (+22.1), Slovenia (+18.1) and the United Kingdom (+16.1). The highest decrease was in Portugal (-24.2 percent), followed by the Netherlands (-15.8), Denmark (-11.1), Romania (-10.4) and Greece.

Based on the figures, Greek women gave birth to fewer children and at an older age than the EU average. In 2015, the mean age of women at the birth of their first child stood at 27 or below in Bulgaria (26.0), Romania (26.3), Latvia (26.5) and Poland (27.0). In contrast, it was above 30 in Italy (30.8), Spain (30.7), Luxembourg and Greece (both 30.2).

There was a slight increase in the fertility rate in Greece between 2001 and 2015, when it went up from 1.25 to 1.33, which is a rise of 0.08 percent. The largest increases were observed in Latvia (0.48 percent) and the Czech Republic (+0.42). The highest decreases were registered in Cyprus (-0.25 percent) and Luxembourg (-0.19).