Baby boom underway - the lockdown effect

Wednesday, 6 April 2022 06:30

There’s a mini baby boom going on right now. More were born in the country last year than any year since 1972.

There were also more marriages and divorces last year.

89,400 babies were born in 2021 – up over 4% on the year before.

The timings of the births mean the most conceptions were between April and July 2020 – and then between November 2020 and March 2021.

The Federal Statistics Office does admit pandemic restrictions are likely to have had an impact on conceptions.

All cantons recorded an increase in birth rates – except for Nidwalden and Obwalden.

There were more marriages and divorces last year than the year before – but the reasons for that are more straightforward.

Many marriages were postponed due to the restrictions – and courts postponed divorce hearings for the same reasons.

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