Title: Population policies and fertility trends in France.

POPLINE Document Number: 101271

Author(s):

Bruxer E
Blayo C

Source citation:

In: Demographic and social effects of population policies in Europe, edited by Henry P. David and Daniel Pierotti. Copenhagen, Denmark, World Health Organization [WHO], Regional Office for Europe, 1993. :13-5.

Abstract:

Fertility in France has declined during three distinct periods. 1) Fertility declined between the 1950s and the 1960s due to smaller family size of about 3 children or less and more first and second children. 2) The decline between 1960 and 1970 was reflected in no large families at all, the marked reduction in third order births, and some decline in second order births. 3) After 1970, there is reduced fertility at all birth orders and decline in the interval between marriage and first birth. Other patterns are for a decline in voluntary infertility from 18% to 11% and a slight increase after the 1975 generation. 40% of the decline of legitimate fertility is due to the decline in third order births. About 405 of married couples prefer a two-child family. During 1983-85 cohabitation occurred before 66% of first unions. Divorce increased rapidly and remarriage declined. Out-of-wedlock births have become socially more acceptable. The tax laws give the same allowances for income and family size regardless of marital status, which favors common law unions. Social welfare funds are being redirected to aging and health programs. France has been one of the few countries with explicitly stated demographic objectives, in part because fertility began declining in the later 18th century and by 1980 the net reproduction rate was below 1. Over this long period, considerable attention has been directed to family issues in associations and among experts such as Landry, Sauvy, and Bertillon. A coherent system of social protection and family allowance laws emerged following the economic crisis of the 1930s. The public has viewed the rise in births during the 1940s, followed by stabilization, as the result of effective probirth measures.

Keywords:

France
Population Policy
Fertility Rate
Demographic Transition
Changes
Europe, Western
Europe
Developed Countries
Social Policy
Policy
Birth Rate
Fertility Measurements
Fertility
Population Dynamics
Demographic Factors
Population
Social Change