In 2021 – the previous record year – it was still 0.81. In 2020, South Korea recorded more deaths than births for the first time.
Fertility rate in the Netherlands
In Europe, the fertility rate is also relatively low. An average of 1.6 children are expected per woman.
In the Netherlands, too, the number of children expected per woman fell last year to 1.49, a trend that started in 2010. But the Dutch population did grow through migration.
Cheer on
Economic uncertainty is a reason for many families not to have children. According to demographers, European women are late having children.
To combat aging, several European countries are trying to encourage their citizens to have more children. For example, Sweden offers 240 days of paid parental leave for both parents.
In 2017, the Ministry of Health in Poland published a YouTube video asking citizens to multiply like rabbits.
