The average number of births per woman has been declining steadily in the ECE region over the past two decades with fertility level currently being below replacement level in most ECE countries. However, population will continue to increase, except in Europe, according to UN estimates. The overall declining trend in fertility in many of the ECE countries, originated from women’s increased participation in economic activities, often based on improved access to higher education and career opportunities. In general, women and their families benefit from slower population growth and reduced fertility. More recently however, further reduction in fertility seems to have been the result of adverse economic conditions, especially in the transition economies. High levels of unemployment, less access to child-care services and social support, raising preschool fees, and difficulties in finding housing for young couples have caused women and men to further postpone childbearing. Lower fertility has also been linked to declining trends in marriage.

 The effects of education on fertility rates vary according to national context. Factors that play key role are the presence of mass schooling, the existence of family planning programmes and employment opportunities for women. Fertility is lower among women with secondary or higher levels of education than among women with no or less schooling. At higher level of women’s education, all countries show a clear inverse relationship between educational attainment and fertility. Fewer studies exist on the impact of men’s education on fertility. But studies have shown that women’s fertility clearly decreases only when the husband has a secondary-level education, although not as much as when the wife has attained that level.

 Current world population growth rates are negative in 20 countries or areas, most of them countries in transition in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. As a by-product of economic uncertainty, fertility has decreased rapidly in these countries to the lowest in the world, and mortality is either rising or holding steady especially among men. Population growth rates are also negative in Italy, where fertility has been among the lowest in the world for many years.

 Examples of policies in the region:
Sweden: support to families with children