The world’s demographic situation is a paradox one. While the global population is growing dramatically and lots of countries are confronted with the problem of an uncontrolled and drastically birth surplus, many nations are facing demographic difficulties reversely. Both tendencies are holding formidable intricatenesses – by economic, environmental as well as by social nature.
Despite the sum of political activities implemented in nearly all societal areas, European countries are holding the lowest rates of fertility worldwide - an average European woman gives birth to 1,43 children today. Compared to Africa and Asia, where 4,68 respectively 2,35 children are born by a single woman, the value appears dramatically and is understandably providing a basis for fervid, often irrational and populist discussions and agitations. But even when keeping distance to embroidering scenarios and apocalyptic prospects, certain demographic imbalances cannot be negated.
The continuous decrease of birth rates in nearly all European countries has to be accepted as an incontrovertible fact. Nevertheless there’s nothing like an ‘European Consistency’ regarding the character and pace of regressing birth rates, but a plurality of different demographic developments with disparate velocity and determinated by unequal terms.
Considering the demographic reality of Europe matter-of-factly, this paper will try to trace the pattern of natalistic developments in the European Union against the background of specific national, social, political, economical, religious and cultural contexts. On the one hand, demographic realities of the Member States will be compared with each other, whereas country-specific peculiarities will be taken into consideration as well as cross-national phenomena. On the other hand, the attempt of an embedding of just those demographic realities into their socio-cultural contexts will be carried out. By establishing a connection between demographic data and its societal provenience, fertility-related developments will be represented as cross-linked, multi-layered processes. Due to the complexity of the subject, interrelations will be established merely with selected causal factors.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Population in the European Union
- Demographic Status Quo
- Population structure
- Europe and the World Population
- Fertility
- Fertility in the European Union
- Fertility Development
- Implications of low fertility
- Cross-country patterns of fertility and socio-demographic coherences
- General characteristics
- Fertility and education
- Fertility and labour
- Labour force participation
- Labour market and female participation in Italy
- Fertility and religious affiliation
- Fertility and family structures
- Household size
- Marriage, divorce and cohabitation
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper aims to analyze the patterns of fertility developments in the European Union against the backdrop of specific national, social, political, economical, religious and cultural contexts. It compares demographic realities of the Member States with each other, considering country-specific peculiarities and cross-national phenomena. The paper also attempts to embed these demographic realities into their socio-cultural contexts, establishing a connection between demographic data and its societal provenience to represent fertility-related developments as cross-linked, multi-layered processes. Due to the complexity of the subject, interrelations are established merely with selected causal factors.
- The demographic situation in the European Union and its past development
- The current levels of fertility in the European Union and its historical development
- The relationship between fertility and education, female labor market participation, religious affiliation, and family structures
- The implications of low fertility for the European Union
- The impact of socio-demographic conditions on fertility rates in the European Union
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The first chapter focuses on the demographic characteristics of the European Union. It analyzes the demographic status quo, highlighting key population structures and trends. The second chapter dives into the demographic process of fertility, exploring current fertility levels in the EU and their historical development over the past five decades. The chapter concludes by considering potential consequences of the demographic development, particularly the issue of the ‘ageing society'.
Chapter 3 delves deeper into European fertility and its interconnectedness with socio-demographic conditions. It examines the general characteristics of the fertility decline and its relationship to factors like education, female labor market participation, religious affiliation, and family structures. This analysis primarily focuses on the EU and its 25 Member States.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The main keywords and focus topics of this text include European Union, demographic trends, fertility rates, population structure, education, female labor market participation, religious affiliation, family structures, aging society, socio-demographic conditions, and cross-national comparisons. These terms encapsulate the core concepts and research themes of the work, providing a comprehensive understanding of the complex dynamics of population trends and their underlying societal influences within the European Union.
- Quote paper
- Bakk. Daniel Rössler (Author), 2005, Fertility in Europe - A sociodemographic analysis, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/88444
