New data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reveals significant variation across countries in the share of babies born outside marriage, highlighting changing family structures and social norms around the world.
According to the figures, Colombia records the highest proportion, with 87.0% of babies born outside marriage, followed by Chile at 78.1%, Costa Rica at 74.0%, and Mexico at 73.7%. Several European countries also report high levels, including Iceland at 69.4%, Norway at 61.2%, Bulgaria at 59.7%, Portugal at 59.5%, France at 58.5%, Sweden at 57.5%, Slovenia at 56.5%, Denmark at 54.7%, Estonia at 53.8%, Belgium at 52.4%, and Spain at 50.0%.
READ: News: Millennials Are Broke Because They’re Having Children Before Marriage, New Report Says
In the mid-range are New Zealand and Finland, both at 48.4%, the United Kingdom at 47.6%, Czechia at 47.1%, the Netherlands at 42.1%, Slovakia at 41.6%, Italy at 40.5%, Austria and the United States both at 40.0%, Australia at 39.9%, Luxembourg at 39.0%, Ireland at 38.4%, Latvia at 37.3%, Romania at 33.9%, and Germany at 33.1%.
Lower shares are recorded in Canada at 29.0%, Poland at 28.7%, Switzerland at 27.7%, Lithuania at 27.3%, Croatia at 26.1%, Hungary at 24.4%, Cyprus at 21.2%, Greece at 9.7%, Israel at 8.6%, South Korea at 4.7%, Türkiye at 3.1%, and Japan at 2.4%, the lowest among the countries listed.
