Valentine’s Day is coming, so let’s talk about love because that is all you are going to read about this weekend anyway. Have you heard already that Europe is running out of babies? But your reporter is not here to lecture you on whether to have children. Quite the opposite.
I prepared some numbers for you. Maybe use them as a pick-up line?
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Europeans are waiting longer to have children, and there is no sign that will change anytime soon.
But here is the twist: delaying parenthood does not necessarily mean giving up on children. In fact, the EU countries where women wait the longest are also the countries with higher fertility rates.
And that also might explain the explosion in fertility treatments, which allow couples to extend their window of opportunity. In 2021 alone, there were over 1 million treatment cycles across Europe.
Because most Europeans still say their ideal family size is two children.
But they simply cannot afford it. Over a third of Hungarians cite financial limits as the main barrier, while 30% of Italians blame job insecurity. Does it sound familiar to you?
But throwing state money at the problem does not always work. Despite massive pro-natal public spending, births in Poland have almost halved since 1990. And in Hungary? Last year saw the lowest number of babies born... ever.
And on the other side of the globe, there is South Korea which is even more desperate. The government is reportedly paying new couples just to go on dates.
So if you are dating tonight, with or without the intention to procreate, remember: some countries would happily pay for your dinner. Just do not bring it up on the first date.
It is a mood killer.
Watch the Euronews video in the player above for the full story.