The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) published the study “Society at a glance: focus on fertility trends.” In this, it was revealed that, for the average of member countries, fertility rates have fallen by half over the last 60 years, going from 3.3 children per woman in 1960 to 1.5 children per woman in 2022. For Colombia, the decline was more noticeable, with a decrease from 6.7 children per woman in 1960 to 1.7 children per woman in 2022.
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Accompanied by Costa Rica, Ireland, Mexico and Turkey, Colombia is part of the list of the five countries that, in 1980, had fertility rates well above three children per woman, but that, as time went by, had cuts. more radical.
Despite this, The country continues to have a comparatively high rate compared to the rest of the OECD, being surpassed only by France, Mexico and Israel, the first two with a fertility rate of 1.8 and the last with 2.9 children per woman. The report explains that this difference in Israel is due to the fact that women belonging to the Haredi, an ultra-Orthodox group, tend to have a large number of children.
For their part, the countries that have the lowest fertility rates are Italy and Spain, with 1.2 children per woman, and Korea, with 0.7 children per woman in 2023.
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In order to measure these figures, the fertility rate is generally compared with the replacement rate, which shows the number of children per woman necessary to maintain the population at constant levels. According to the OECD, this indicator is 2.1 children per woman, which means that all member countries, with the exception of Israel, are below it.
This raises concern because “low fertility rates could lead to population decline starting in the next decade, as Deaths would exceed births for the first time in at least half a century”says the document.
Added to this is the fact that, for every 100 people, the number of individuals over 65 years of age is projected to increase from 30 in 2020 to 59 in 2060: “The resulting reduction in the active population could lead to the aging of societies, which would place significant social and economic pressures on governments, particularly to increase spending on pensions and health services.
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Couples are having children at a later age:
Another of the main points identified by the study is that the average age at which women are giving birth has increased from 28.2 in 2000 to 30.9 in 2022 for the OECD average.
These results were marked by Korea, which increased the age from 29 to 33.5 and by Spain, which increased from 30.4 to 33.1 years on average.. Colombia is one of the atypical cases, as it is the country where women give birth at the youngest age (27 years by 2022) and, together with Mexico, they are one of the countries that has increased the least in this indicator since 2000. when the average age was 26.5. This is due to relatively high young birth rates.
“While OECD countries are using a variety of policy options to support families, the economic cost and long-term financial uncertainty of having children continue to significantly influence people’s decision to become parents,” he said. Stefano Scarpetta, director of employment, labor and social affairs at the OECD.
Among the reasons, the study shows that the increase in the costs of buying a home since 2010 has complicated the formation of long-term relationships and, eventually, families. The number of people in their 20s and 30s, who still live with their parents for financial reasons, has been increasing as a result.
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For example, For Colombia, 35 percent of young people live under these conditions, and 25 percent are not employed, educated or in training. For its part, in Italy and Korea, 80 and 81 percent of young people live with their parents, respectively.
“Facilitating parenting decisions requires comprehensive and reliable support for families. This includes affordable housing, family policies that help reconcile work and family life, and coherence with other public policies that promote access to quality jobs and the professional progression of women,” Scarpetta pointed out.
JUAN ANDRÉS BELTRAN TÉLLEZ – ECONOMY EDITORIAL
