Abstract
The author uses data from the European Values Study 2008 to investigate possible links between gender-related attitudes and fertility rates in EU member states. Countries with higher income levels and female employment rates were found to have higher fertility rates, and countries with higher fertility rates tended to have higher percentages of live births outside of marriage, suggesting a significant change in traditional family structure. A positive correlation between gender equity and reduced traditional gender role expectations was observed in wealthier countries, which also had greater female labor force participation and higher fertility rates. In wealthy Western societies, couples no longer have children for purposes of extending family lines or providing support in old age. For many women, children and careers now go hand-in-hand.
Highlights
The steady decline in fertility rates worldwide has attracted a great deal of research attention since the 1990s
According to demographic data provided by the European Union, total fertility rates (TFRs) for the 28 member states (EU28) in 2014 ranged between 1.23 (Portugal) and 2.01 (France) (Eurostat [2])
Since Human Development Index (HDI) is strongly associated with GNI (r=0.86), we predicted a positive association between TFR and GNI (r=0.44). These results indicate that EU member states with higher GNI and/or HDI values tended to have higher fertility rates
Summary
The steady decline in fertility rates worldwide has attracted a great deal of research attention since the 1990s. According to recent UN estimates, 46 percent of the world’s population lives in countries with fertility rates at or below replacement level (average 2.1 children per woman), resulting in rapidly aging populations and negative population growth (United Nations [1]). According to demographic data provided by the European Union, total fertility rates (TFRs) for the 28 member states (EU28) in 2014 ranged between 1.23 (Portugal) and 2.01 (France) (Eurostat [2]). According to EU projections, between 2015 and 2080 there will be 327.1 million births and 387.2 million deaths in the EU28—a net reduction of 60.1 million inhabitants (Eurostat [3]). According to Morgan [4], most countries will have low fertility rates within the two
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