[Causes for and consequences of the decline of fertility in Germany]

The decline in fertility is a world-wide phenomenon. In the past fifty years the birth rates have decreased by more than a half in both industrialized and developing countries. At the same time, life expectancy has doubled. In the lecture, facts and trends in fertility, mortality and migration are analyzed as causes of the population dynamics and current population predictions for Germany and Europe are presented. These data are then used as the basis for a concise survey of the most important conflicts of interest due to demographic factors at national and international levels (conflicts of interest between the young and old generations, between the new and the old provinces of Germany, between immigrants and non-immigrants, between people with children and those without). Finally, objectives, instruments, and chances of success of a population-conscious, interdisciplinary policy are discussed on the basis of international comparative analyses.