Fertility and contraception in Europe: the case of low fertility in Southern Europe

Abstract

Demographic trends in Europe can be summarized in terms of a declining proportion of its population in the world total, low fertility, and a slow population growth.

Fertility in Western Europe was already below the replacement level in 1970–75 and has remained low. Fertility has substantially declined in Eastern and Southern Europe, with Italy and Spain recording one of the lowest levels (1.2 children per woman) in 1994.

Some explanations of the dramatic fertility decline in Southern Europe are:

(1) The emancipation of women and their increased participation in the labor force;

(2) Economic aspects such as costs for child care and education; and

(3) The couple's motivation for low fertility because of the expanded choices for travel and leisure and their concerns for improving their standard of living.

Social pressures on childbearing outside marriage remain quite strong; cohabitation and extramarital births in Southern Europe are not as prevalent as in other European regions and there is a trend toward delaying the birth of the first child rather than foregoing childbearing.

Key Words:

• Europe
• Population growth
• Fertility decline
• Socioeconomic factors
• Cultural factors