Fewer births

Portugal registered a decrease of nearly 4,000 births in the first half of 2013 compared to the same period last year, according to data from the National Statistics Institute. Last year, 43,881 newborns were registered between January and June, while this year 39,913 babies were born. A psychology expert justified the decrease with factors such as youth unemployment, the high cost of childcare and women’s difficulty to balance their career and motherhood.