Current status and inter-country perspectives related to low fertility levels in Japan, Korea and Switzerland : Implications for sustainable development

Abstract

Societal health patterns result from the interaction of human behavior and the characteristics of natural, social and cultural environments. Knowing the powerful influence that the larger society exerts is crucial in order to identify and manage the factors that help determine healthy development outcomes.Low or persistently low fertility levels are a compelling health issue as a whole because they threaten the long-term and balanced sustainability of modern societies. Adequate actions are crucial to reverse low fertility levels and it is imperative to understand and confront the causal ecological factors, and foreseeable results of ageing populations.This report discusses the presentations of national trends in low fertility levels in Japan, Korea and Switzerland and highlights their development and policy implications.Japan's low-fertility transition is examined with reference to marriage patterns, labor force participation, and personal sexual behavior patterns. Among the 33 countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Korea has the lowest fertility level, thereby raising contrasting views of a “disappearing” country or one of “opportunity and change”. Switzerland has a pattern of low but stable fertility, with changes occurring at the personal and couple levels that are linked primarily to economic imperatives.Four underlying cardinal points will play a role in further affecting fertility trends and vice versa, all of which have ramifications for nations seeking to achieve a healthy and sustainable development.