Changing role of women is affecting birth rates – study

Today, the decline in global birth rates is largely linked to the growing independence of women, who increasingly choose to live without relying on a partner or state support. This was revealed in a study by Nobel Prize-winning economist Claudia Goldin.

According to the research, the main factor behind the falling birth rate is women’s increased independence, as they now have greater access to education, career opportunities, and reproductive control. At the same time, the traditional link between economic growth and declining birth rates has shifted. For example, wealthier nations such as Sweden and the United States maintain higher birth rates than countries like Greece and South Korea.

In more than half of the world’s countries, the fertility rate has dropped below 2.1—the level required for natural population replacement. These nations together account for nearly two-thirds of the global population, including the two most populous countries on Earth. Goldin notes that the situation is further complicated by persistent gender imbalances in household expectations.

While men tend to maintain traditional divisions of household roles, women increasingly seek to share childcare responsibilities equally with their partners. This issue is particularly pronounced in countries that experienced rapid economic growth after World War II—such as Japan, South Korea, Italy, Spain, Greece, and Portugal.

In the United States, fertility among highly educated women began to decline in the 1970s. For instance, among women born in 1950, the number of children per woman with a university degree fell to 1.64.

Goldin concludes that low fertility is primarily the result of “structural barriers,” including unequal distribution of domestic responsibilities within couples and insufficient state support for childcare. When such guarantees are lacking, women’s independence contributes to lower birth rates. However, when adequate support systems exist, independence can instead promote higher fertility, greater participation of women in the labor market, and more equitable relationships within families.

Earlier, Russian State Duma deputy Oleg Matveychev sparked controversy by suggesting during discussions on an abortion ban bill that lowering people’s living standards could increase birth rates.

                                                    Mohichehra Qadamova