Vlachadis Nikolaos, Sioutis Dimos, Christodoulaki Chrissi, Machairiotis Nikolaos, Theofanakis Charalampos, Tsakiridis Ioannis, Dagklis Themistoklis, Louis Konstantinos, Panagopoulos Periklis
Third Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Attiko University Hospital, Athens, GRC.
Third Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Medical School, Hippokrateio Hospital, Thessaloniki, GRC.
Cureus. 2025 Jul 13;17(7):e87827. doi: 10.7759/cureus.87827. eCollection 2025 Jul.
Advanced maternal age is associated with an increased risk of major pregnancy complications. This study aims to investigate long-term trends in maternal age at childbirth in Greece, providing a comprehensive analysis of the evolving distribution of live births by maternal age over time.
We analyzed national data on 8,208,255 live births in Greece from 1956 to 2023, obtained from the Hellenic Statistical Authority and based on official birth certificate records. Maternal age at delivery was categorized into six groups: < 20, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, and ≥ 40 years. To assess the temporal shift in maternal age distribution, the annual proportion (%) of live births within each age group relative to the total live births per year was calculated, and trends were evaluated using joinpoint regression analysis. Annual percent change (APC) values were calculated along with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).
The mean maternal age at childbirth in Greece declined to a minimum of 26.1 years in 1983 and 1984, then increased substantially over the past four decades, reaching a historic high of 32.1 years in 2023. This upward trend was characterized by an APC of 0.7 (95% CI: 0.7 to 0.8) between 1984 and 2000, followed by a slightly slower APC of 0.4 (95% CI: 0.4 to 0.4) from 2000 to 2023. The modal maternal age group in Greece shifted from 20-24 years between 1969 and 1988 to 25-29 years during 1989-2004, while since 2005, the most common age group at childbirth has been 30-34 years. Since the 1980s, there has been a notable shift in the distribution of live births in Greece toward older maternal ages. This trend is marked by a significant decline in the proportion of births to women < 30 years of age and a substantial increase among those aged ≥ 30 years. The relative contribution of mothers aged 35-39 years rose from a historic low of 5.20% in 1980 to a record high of 26.87% in 2021, although it has stagnated since 2018. The proportion of neonates born to mothers aged ≥ 40 years increased dramatically with an APC of 2.5 (95% CI: 1.3 to 3.3) between 1984 and 1995, followed by a markedly steeper APC of 7.0 (95% CI: 6.8 to 7.3) from 1995 onward. The percentage for this age group increased from an all-time low of 1.23% in 1984 to a historic peak of 10.69% in 2023, representing one of the highest rates among developed countries.
Greece has experienced a significant rise in maternal age since the 1980s, driven by a relative decline in births among women < 30 years and a marked increase in the proportion of births to older mothers, particularly those aged ≥ 40 years. These demographic trends raise important concerns and pose substantial challenges to national perinatal health outcomes.
高龄孕产妇与主要妊娠并发症风险增加相关。本研究旨在调查希腊分娩时孕产妇年龄的长期趋势，全面分析活产数按孕产妇年龄随时间的演变分布情况。
我们分析了1956年至2023年希腊8208255例活产的国家数据，这些数据来自希腊统计局，基于官方出生证明记录。分娩时的孕产妇年龄分为六组：<20岁、20 - 24岁、25 - 29岁、30 - 34岁、35 - 39岁和≥40岁。为评估孕产妇年龄分布的时间变化，计算了每个年龄组内活产数相对于每年总活产数的年度比例（%），并使用连接点回归分析评估趋势。计算年度百分比变化（APC）值及95%置信区间（95%CI）。
希腊分娩时的平均孕产妇年龄在1983年和1984年降至最低的26.1岁，然后在过去四十年中大幅上升，2023年达到历史最高的32.1岁。这一上升趋势的特点是，1984年至2000年期间APC为0.7（95%CI：0.7至0.8），随后2000年至2023年期间APC略慢，为0.4（95%CI：0.4至0.4）。希腊的众数孕产妇年龄组从1969年至1988年的20 - 24岁转变为1989 - 2004年的25 - 29岁，而自2005年以来，最常见的分娩年龄组一直是30 - 34岁。自20世纪80年代以来，希腊活产数的分布明显向高龄孕产妇年龄转移。这一趋势的特点是，<30岁女性的分娩比例显著下降，≥30岁女性的分娩比例大幅上升。35 - 39岁母亲的相对贡献从1980年的历史低点5.20%升至2021年的创纪录高点26.87%，不过自2018年以来一直停滞不前。≥40岁母亲所生新生儿的比例在1984年至1995年期间以2.5（95%CI：1.3至3.3）的APC急剧增加，随后1995年起APC明显更陡，为7.0（95%CI：6.8至7.3）。该年龄组的百分比从1984年的历史低点1.23%增至2023年的历史峰值10.69%，这是发达国家中最高的比率之一。
自20世纪80年代以来，希腊孕产妇年龄显著上升，原因是<30岁女性的分娩数相对下降，以及高龄母亲尤其是≥40岁母亲的分娩比例显著增加。这些人口趋势引发了重要关注，并给国家围产期健康结果带来了重大挑战。
