Select a language
While the rest Europe has been hit by a sluggish birth-rate over the past few years, France tops the fertility charts. So what is the secret behind this exception? asks Le Monde*. The French newspaper offers the answer via the following quote from demographer François Héran: *"In thirty years, France has moved away from the Mediterranean model (...) and is now closer to the Scandinavian one, where women work and there are many births outside of marriage." In 2008, nearly 52% of children were born to unmarried couples. Previously considered to be 'indicators of alterations in the family structure", divorces and births outside marriages have become "indicators of flexibility". Héran adds that thanks to this flexibility, men and women are able to fulfill their dream of having children more readily. However this high fertility rate hasn't prevented the French population from growing older. Indeed the number of its senior citizens is set to double in fifty years time.**
Do you like our work?
Help multilingual European journalism to thrive, without ads or paywalls. Your one-off or regular support will keep our newsroom independent. Thank you!
