started · updated
Argentina faces declining birth rates and rising suicide rates
Argentina is facing two significant public health and demographic challenges: a sharp decline in birth rates and a rising suicide rate.
Data from UNICEF and various provincial reports indicate that births in the country have dropped by nearly 50% over the last decade, falling from approximately 777,012 in 2014 to 413,135 in 2024. The fertility rate has reached a historic low of 1.2 to 1.23 children per woman, well below the replacement level of 2.1. In Chubut, live births decreased by over 48% between 2016 and 2025. Studies by the UNFPA suggest this decline is not due to a lack of desire for children, but rather economic instability, job insecurity, and housing difficulties, with 57% of adults aged 18-45 expressing a desire for more children if constraints were removed.
Simultaneously, suicide rates are climbing. According to the Observatorio de Política Criminal and the National Information System on Crime (SNIC), suicides increased by 57.7% between 2017 and 2025, reaching 5,209 cases. The suicide rate has hit a historic high of 11.8 per 100,000 inhabitants. This trend is particularly concerning among young people; in 2024, over 45% of suicides occurred in the 15-34 age group. Statistics also show a significant gender gap, with men accounting for approximately 80% of suicide victims in 2024.
Entities
Argentina · Chubut · Observatorio de Política Criminal · Sistema Nacional de Información Criminal · UNFPA · UNICEF
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Births in Argentina fell by nearly 50% over the last decade, from 777,012 in 2014 to 413,135 in 2024. www.eltributuc.com.ar · www.eldia.com · www.rionegro.com.ar
- [○ 1 SOURCE] In 2024, 45.3% of suicides in Argentina occurred among adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 34. www.somosjujuy.com.ar
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The global fertility rate in Argentina has reached 1.23 children per woman. www.rionegro.com.ar
- [● 2 SOURCES] Suicide cases in Argentina increased by 57.7% between 2017 and 2025, rising from 3,304 to 5,209. huelladelsur.ar · www.somosjujuy.com.ar
- [● 2 SOURCES] In 2025, Argentina recorded 5,209 suicides, a 22.6% increase from the previous year. huelladelsur.ar · www.somosjujuy.com.ar
- [● 2 SOURCES] 57% of Argentines aged 18 to 45 report they would have more children if economic and caregiving limitations did not exist. www.rionegro.com.ar · www.sitiosargentina.com.ar
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Live births in Chubut dropped from 9,406 in 2016 to 4,892 in 2025. elmonterizo.com