What is the average pregnancy age in Colombia?

The latest reports from the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) show that Colombia is undergoing a profound demographic transformation, accompanying a process that is also being replicated globally. While the number of births is falling to historically low levels, the average age at which women are born continues to rise.

At the same time as this decline in the birth rate, a clear change in the profile of Colombian mothers is evident: in 2024, the average age of fertility reached 27.1 years, while the average age to have the first child rose to 24.4 years , almost two years more than in 2005. This transformation reflects an increasingly visible trend by which women are postponing motherhood, a phenomenon that is related to multiple factors, such as greater access to education, growing labor force participation, the emergence of new contraceptive methods and changes in life priorities.

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The general fertility rate has also shown a sustained decline over the last decade: in 2015, the figure was 53.3 births per 1,000 women, while in 2024 it had dropped to 32 births. The most significant decline was observed among adolescents aged 15 to 19, where fertility registered a 51.1% drop over the last 10 years. Regarding births, 445,011 births were recorded in Colombia in 2024, the lowest figure since official records began in 1998. This represents a 13.7% reduction compared to 2023 and a cumulative drop of 32.7% compared to 2015.

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A trend that does not discriminate regions

It's important to note that this phenomenon is not exclusive to certain regions, as all departments in the country recorded a decline in births during 2024.

Even those that had shown some stability or growth in previous years, such as Bolívar, Caquetá, Guainía, and Vaupés , now aligned themselves with this downward trend. Bogotá, Antioquia, Valle del Cauca, and Atlántico—the most populated areas—also recorded significant declines.

Demographic experts warn that this accelerated demographic transition, which responds to a global trend of population aging and declining fertility, could have long-term consequences for the country's economic and social development.

Meanwhile, fewer births imply a future reduction in the workforce, greater pressure on pension systems, and a rapidly aging population without sufficient generational replacement.