Almost half of children are born to mothers having higher education

In 2017, 20 828 children were born in Latvia. Almost half (46.6 %) of them were born to mothers having higher education¹ (46.0 % in 2016), according to the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) statistics about children born in Latvia in 2016 and 2017 broken down by educational attainment of mother. Out of the total number of newborn children mothers, 7 229 or 34.7 % had acquired upper secondary general or vocational education² (34.5 % in 2016) and 2 775 or 13.3 % had basic education or lower³ (14.1 % in 2016).

“To get better insight in demographic processes taking place in Latvia, it is of a major importance to analyse them not only based on demographic characteristics, but also on social ones, and educational attainment is quite significant for that,” says Baiba Zukula, Deputy Director of Social Statistics Department.

In comparison, 49.5 % of newborn children mothers in Estonia had attained higher education in 2017 and 12.6 % had basic education or lower4. However, there are no corresponding data on Lithuania.

Females having attained higher education tend to have children notably later – 37.9 % of newborn were born to mothers aged 30–34 (37.8 % in 2016) and 32.7 % to mothers aged 25–29 (34.6 % in 2016). Among mothers having basic education or lower, 27.7 % gave birth at the age of 20–24 (28.9 % in 2016) and 17.5 % at the age of 15–19 (17.4 % in 2016).

In 2017, the average childbirth age of mother having higher education constituted 32 years and that at first childbirth 29.9 years (in 2016 those were 31.7 and 29.6 years, respectively). The average childbirth age of mothers that had attained basic education or lower constituted 26.8 years and the average age at first childbirth 21.9 years (in 2016 those were 26.7 and 22.3 years, respectively).

Share of births by educational attainment and full age of mother; 2017
(as per cent)

In respect to the birth order, last year more than 40 % of the first, second and third children were born to mothers having higher education as opposed to only 25.7 % of fourth or higher birth order children. Compared to the year before, the indicators almost have not changed. In 2017, out of the total number of fourth and higher order children, 32.4 % were born to mothers having upper secondary general or vocational education (36.1 % in 2016) and 35 % to mothers having basic education or lower (33.1 % in 2016).

Assuming that females having higher education mainly are more liberal, including towards the marriage, they also may be not so strict regarding the marital birth issues. However, the statistics provides a completely different picture.

In 2017, the total number of marital births constituted 12 420 or 59.6 %, while the indicator among females having higher education comprised 72.9 % and among females having basic education or lower only 31.7 % (in 2016 those were 72.6 % and 31 %, respectively).

Share of births by educational attainment and marital status of mother; 2017
(as per cent)

Methodological explanations

¹ Persons having academic education, first or second level professional higher education or Doctorate (ISCED level 5, 6, 7, 8).

² Persons having vocational education after basic or secondary education or persons with upper secondary general or vocational education (ISCED level 3, 4).

³ Persons having lower secondary general or vocational education or lower (ISCED levels 0, 1, 2).

⁴ Statistics Estonia website

Media requests:
Communication Section
E-mail: media@csb.gov.lv
Phone: +371 67366621, +371 27880666

More information on data:
Baiba Zukula
Deputy Director
Social Statistics Department
E-mail: Baiba.Zukula@csb.gov.lv
Phone: +371 67366847