The current fertility rate in Iceland, 2.07, is the second highest in Europe. Turkey is in the lead with 2.2. The fertility of a nation is measured by the average number of live births in the lifetime of each woman.
Child births are increasing in Iceland. In 2006, 4,415 children were born in Iceland, compared to 4,280 in 2005. In 2005 the fertility rate was 2.05, as reported on the website of Statistics Iceland.
Fertility has however decresed vastly in Iceland since the late 1950s, when the average woman had 4.2 children in her lifetime.
Lower fertility rates are related to the rising age of first-time mothers. In the 1960s and 70s the average age for first-time mothers in Iceland was 22 and now it is 26.4.
The average age is still lower than in most other western European countries. In Norway the average age of first-time mothers is 27.9 and in Sweden 28.5.
