Open Data Insight of the Day

In 2022, the Canton of Basel-Stadt recorded a total of 1 796 births, resulting in a birth rate of 8.8 per 1,000 inhabitants. July was the busiest month with 177 births, while February saw the fewest with 121. The newborns were composed of 850 girls and 946 boys. Among these, 1 067 were Swiss and 728 were foreign, with foreign newborns making up 40.5% of the total births. This share is slightly higher than the foreign population share of 37.9%, indicating a similar proportion of foreign births to the overall foreign population.

The average age of mothers in Basel-Stadt was 33.3 years, while fathers averaged 35.9 years. The youngest mother was 17, and the oldest was 51, with 13 teenage mothers recorded. Swiss mothers were slightly older on average at 33.4 years compared to 33.2 years for foreign mothers, highlighting a small age gap between these groups.

Comparing 2022 to 2005, the total number of births increased from 1 678 to 1 796. However, the birth rate per 1,000 inhabitants slightly decreased from 9.0 to 8.8. The share of foreign babies decreased from 43.7% to 40.5%, while the average age of mothers rose from 30.4 to 33.3 years. Notably, the number of teenage mothers decreased significantly from 33 in 2005 to 13 in 2022.

In terms of names, the most popular names for girls in 2022 were Alma and Emma (both with 9 births), followed by Mila with 8. For boys, Louis led with 12, followed by Felix with 10, and Enea with 7. Compared to 2006, these represent new leaders in popularity. In 2022, there were 145 new girls' names and 154 new boys' names. Examples of new girls' names include Aleya, Bitanya, and Elaya, while new boys' names included Ante, Erwin, and Jahan.