Fertility and Family Policies in Central and Eastern Europe after 1990
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This paper examines fertility and family policies in 15 Central and East European (CEE) countries to establish firstly, likely directions of cohort fertility trends for the coming decade; and secondly, to provide an overview and analysis of family policies in CEE countries, and to assess their impact on cohort fertility trends. Demographic analysis suggests that the cohort fertility decline of the 1960s cohorts is likely to continue at least among the 1970s birth cohorts; stagnation cannot be ruled out. Births that were postponed by women born in the 1970s were not being replaced in sufficient numbers for cohort fertility to increase in the foreseeable future, and shares of low parity women (childless and one child) were larger than shares of high parity women among the late 1960s cohorts than in older cohorts. Also, childbearing postponement which started in the 1990s is reflected in dramatic changes of childbearing age patterns. As period fertility rates have been increasing in the late 2000s throughout the region an impression of a fertility recovery has been created, however the findings of this project indicate that no such widespread childbearing recovery is underway.For the first time ever an overview and analysis of CEE family policies is conceptualized in this paper. It demonstrates that fertility trends and family policies are a matter of serious concern throughout the region. The following family policy types have been identified: comprehensive family policy model; pro-natalist policies model; temporary male bread-winner model; and conventional family policies model. The majority of family policies in CEE countries suffer from a variety of shortcomings that impede them from generating enhanced family welfare and from providing conditions for cohort fertility to increase. The likely further decline of cohort fertility, or its stagnation, may entail long-term demographic as well as other societal consequences, such as continuous declines in total population numbers, changes in age structures, as well as implications for health and social security costs.
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In some countries and periods, family policies have pursued pronatalist objectives, that is, the promotion of larger families.
“In some countries, and at various periods of time, family policies have also pursued pronatalist objectives, that is, the promotion of larger families.”
From Family Policies in Low Fertility Countries: Evidence and Reflections (2025) · cites this paper as Frejka and Gietel-Basten 2016
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Cohort fertility decline in low fertility countries: Decomposition using parity progression ratios
Zeman, K., Beaujouan, E., Brzozowska, Z., & Sobotka, T. (2018) · Demographic Research · doi:10.4054/demres.2018.38.25 · Cited by 159 · see citing works
Sobotka, T. (2017) · Journal of Biosocial Science · doi:10.1017/s0021932017000323 · Cited by 150 · see citing works
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Gauthier, A. H., & Gietel‐Basten, S. (2025) · Population and Development Review · doi:10.1111/padr.12691 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Self-citationThe Fertility Transition Revisited: A Cohort Perspective
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- Authors
- Frejka, T., & Gietel-Basten, S.
- Venue
- Comparative Population Studies
- Published
- 2016-06-30
- Volume
- 41
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 3-56
- ISSN
- 1869-8980 (ISSN-L)
- 1869-8999
- OpenAlex
- W4255398125
- Cited by
- 133
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 2 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 31.85
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Comparative Population Studies (publishedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- ePubWU Institutional Repository (Vienna University of Economics and Business) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Electronic Kyiv-Mohyla Academy Institutional Repository (National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy) (submittedVersion)
- Rare & Special e-Zone (The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) (submittedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Social Science Open Access Repository (GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Bundesinstitut für Bevolkerungsforschung (CPoS) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- St Andrews Research Repository (St Andrews Research Repository) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Vytautas Magnus University (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Bundesinstitut für Bevolkerungsforschung (CPoS)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Demography › Family Dynamics and Relationships
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social Policies and Family
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics
- Keywords
- fertility trends, family policy, Central and Eastern Europe, delayed childbearing, reproductive age, pronatalist policy, male breadwinner model, fertility restoration, low parity, population decline, age structure, social security costs, post-communist transition
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