Abstract
Many European countries show no significant decline in human fecundity but their fertility rates are below the replacement level because men and women want fewer children. Economic and social factors appear to be the main explanation for this reduced desire for children. Effective family-planning methods allow couples to choose whether to avoid or postpone childbearing, even though the outcome is likely to be less favorable at older ages. Other lifestyle choices, such as undernutrition in the woman or, more frequently, being overweight and smoking in both partners, may also negatively affect reproduction. Social programs supporting new families appear important for achieving any substantial increase in the number of children per woman. Within Europe, this effect is clearly evident in France and in the Scandinavian countries, although a low fertility seems to be advisable for many overcrowded regions.
Acknowledgements
The secretarial assistance of Mrs Simonetta Vassallo is gratefully acknowledged.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
The author has no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.
Notes
Data from Citation[3].
Data from [Crosignani P, Pers. Observ.].