The total number of deliveries within the 58 maternity units of the Flemish Region and UZ Brussel fell by 2,322 last year. The SPE registered 60,525 hospital deliveries last year, compared to 62,847 in 2021. This is a decrease of 3.7 percent compared to 2021. The birth rate has clearly fallen in Flanders in the last decade. In 2022, 7.6 percent fewer hospital deliveries were recorded compared to 2013.
The number of hospital deliveries fell last year in all Flemish provinces and is approaching the number of hospital deliveries in 2020. The corona baby boom therefore seems to be behind us. The relative decrease is greatest in East Flanders (-5.6 percent) and Antwerp (-4.5 percent). In Flemish Brabant and West Flanders, the decrease is more limited, of 2.5 percent and 2.0 percent respectively. In Limburg there was a decrease of 1.3 percent.