Fertility trends in Europe since the second world war

Area of Science:

• Demography
• European History
• Sociology

Background:

• The mid-1930s represented a historical nadir for crude birth rates and fertility indices across Western and North-Western Europe.
• This period followed a long decline in fertility since the 1870s/1880s, with only France showing signs of stabilization.
• The era witnessed the rise of pro-natalist policies in several European nations and the Great Depression, impacting demographic trends.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish the demographic situation in the mid-1930s as a baseline for understanding post-World War II fertility movements in Europe.
• To analyze the factors contributing to the low fertility rates observed during this period.
• To examine the influence of pro-natalist policies and economic conditions on European population dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of historical crude birth rates and period indices of fertility.
• Examination of pro-natalist policies implemented in France, Belgium, Italy, and Germany.
• Review of economic conditions, specifically the Great Depression and mass unemployment.
• Consideration of the use of period net reproduction rates and population projections in demographic analysis.

Main Results:

• Most Western and North-Western European countries experienced historically low fertility rates by the mid-1930s.
• Pro-natalist policies were introduced or expanded, reflecting concerns about national vitality and potential depopulation.
• The economic depression of the 1930s provided a potential explanation for a portion of the observed demographic decline.

Conclusions:

• The mid-1930s serve as a critical reference point for understanding subsequent European fertility trends.
• A confluence of declining fertility, evolving government policies, and economic hardship characterized the demographic landscape of pre-war Europe.
• The study highlights the interplay between social, political, and economic factors in shaping population dynamics.