Overview Chapter 1: Fertility in Europe: Diverse, delayed and below replacement

Tomas Frejka; Tomáš Sobotka

Volume 19 - Article 3 | Pages 15–46

Overview Chapter 1: Fertility in Europe: Diverse, delayed and below replacement

By Tomas Frejka, Tomáš Sobotka

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Date received:	23 Apr 2007
Date published:	01 Jul 2008
Word count:	7337
Keywords:	childbearing, Europe, fertility
DOI:	10.4054/DemRes.2008.19.3
Weblink:	You will find all publications in this Special Collection “Childbearing Trends and Policies in Europe” at http://www.demographic-research.org/special/7/

Abstract

Early in the 21st century, three-quarters of Europe’s population lived in countries with fertility considerably below replacement. This general conclusion is arrived at irrespective of whether period or cohort fertility measures are used. In Western and Northern Europe, fertility quantum was slightly below replacement. In Southern, Central and Eastern Europe, fertility quantum as measured by the period total fertility rate (TFR) and its tempo-adjusted version was markedly below replacement; in many countries it was around 1.5, and in some populations it was as low as 1.3 to 1.4 births per woman. Throughout Europe, a historic transformation of childbearing patterns characterised by a pronounced delay of entry into parenthood has been taking place. This secular trend towards later childbearing has greatly contributed to the decline and fluctuations in period fertility rates. Delayed births were being recuperated, especially among childless women, but the extent of recuperation differs by country and region. All in all, despite a recent upward trend in the period TFR, European fertility early in the 21st century was at its lowest point since the Second World War.

Author's Affiliation

Tomas Frejka - Independent researcher, International
Tomáš Sobotka - Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital (IIASA, OeAW, University of Vienna), Austria [Email]