Reproduction and demography in Europe

Fertility has been declining sharply over the past 40 years everywhere in Europe. The period indicator (total fertility rate for a given year) is now below 2.1 children in all countries, ranging from 1.2 to 2.1. These are unprecedented values outside periods of wars. The final number of children (completed fertility) is not as low, because the total fertility rate is influenced by tempo effects. Births are postponed more often and the age at first birth rose by 3-4 years in 20 years in most countries. The desired family size has declined in parallel, though less rapidly. Couples now want fewer children and they want to have them at older ages. The birth of a child must be compatible with the personal fulfilment of each member of the couple (e.g. in terms of scholarship or professional career), the strength of the relationship must be felt by both partners, and the material and psychological prospects must be as good as possible for the child. In addition, some couples fail to have a baby against their will, but there is no evidence that this proportion might have increased significantly so far.