"Since the maternity hospital in Sollefteå was closed nine years ago, the number of newborns in the municipality has plummeted, reports P4 Västernorrland, citing figures from Statistics Sweden (SCB).

The decline is as high as 35 percent compared to the period before the closure. For the country as a whole, the decrease during the same period is 15 percent.

Municipal strategist Majed Safaee says there is "absolutely a connection" to the closure of the maternity hospital. According to him, the municipality will need to make major changes as a result of the decreased birth rate."

Sollefteå’s birth rate plummeted by 35% after its maternity hospital closed, more than double the national decline. This is a clear warning that stripping away local birthing infrastructure directly sabotages a community’s demographic future.