Thursday 14 June 2007

Not so bad after all...

Bringing up baby
Jun 14th 2007
From Economist.com

EUROPE'S demographic picture has long been painted as one of low fertility and a declining population. But according to Jitka Rychtarikova of the Charles University in Prague, there is a demographic tale of two Europes. From Scandinavia to France, countries' populations are recovering and childbearing is increasing. Indeed, France and Ireland are reaching the magic replacement-level fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman in a lifetime. By contrast, from the Mediterranean through to eastern Europe, low fertility rates and ageing populations still abound. Various measures appear to encourage having more babies, from flexible working hours to removing the stigma from illegitimacy.


4 comments:

Mark said...

"Removing the stigma from illegitimacy" as a way to boost the birth-rate is pretty weak. The highest birthrates in the west are in societies, typically religious societies, where marriage is the norm and illegitimacy does carry stigma - eg Mormons. That is because those societies are optimistic. Secularised, self-absorbed societies which suffer from debased ideas of women's 'liberation' (really men's liberation in sexual terms) have higher rates of illegitimacy, higher rates of abortion and lower birthrates.

Paulina Wojnar said...

I agree, but the point of posting was rather a fresh look at what's been and still is a majority perception as to what's going on in European demographics...

Mark said...

One needs to break out the Moslem birth-rate which tends to be much higher. It is no comfort if Europe's demographic destiny is Islam.

cf 'America Alone' by Mark Steyn

Anonymous said...

Well, now I can sleep securely!
These short-cut, snotty and loud will not leave me alone.