According to a new report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), “The real fertility crisis”, global fertility rates have reached an absolute minimum, confirming the global trend towards demographic decline.
Key findings of the study
The average fertility rate since 1950 has fallen from 5 to about 2.2-2.3 children per woman.
In more than half of countries, including the US, Germany, India, Brazil, the number of children on average is below the replacement level of 2.1-2.2.
One in five adults in the 14 countries surveyed (USA, India, Brazil, Germany, etc.) said they could not have as many children as they would like, primarily because of the high cost of living and financial problems.
The analysis shows: the problem is not a lack of desire to have children, but a lack of opportunities – a lack of social and financial support.
“The world has entered a phase of large-scale fertility decline… Many people feel that they cannot create the family they want, and this is really a crisis,” said Natalia Kanem, executive director of the Foundation.
Demographic instability – declining populations and a growing proportion of older people threaten the economies and social fabric of countries. Loss of young citizens-young families are delaying or abandoning childbearing, which reduces consumption and national wealth. Geographic heterogeneity-while the populations of Europe and Japan are shrinking, growth is occurring predominantly in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The UNFPA report is clear: fertility is declining not because of a lack of desire to have children, but because of a lack of adequate support from governments. Without programme assistance in the social and economic spheres, world societies risk facing demographically impoverished future generations.