The start of 2026 brought an encouraging sign for the maternity ward in the archipelago, with the first birth occurring on January 3rd and an upward trend expected in the coming months. According to data from the hospital, around twenty births are already anticipated by summer, suggesting an annual total higher than the low levels observed recently.
If this trend continues, it would represent an improvement compared to the lowest years and reflect a temporary increase in the local birth rate. However, the available figures are based solely on pregnancies registered in the first half of the year and are therefore incomplete.
A still negative demographic balance
Meanwhile, the underlying trend remains worrying. As of January 1, 2026, the population of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon is estimated at 5,790 inhabitants, a decrease of 29 people in one year. This decline is part of a persistent negative demographic trend, despite a slight improvement in the birth rate.
This situation contrasts with that of other overseas territories, where the population continues to grow, such as in French Guiana or Réunion. On the archipelago, the expected increase in births thus appears as a positive sign, but still insufficient to sustainably reverse the demographic trend.
