Page 125 - IJPS-11-3

International Journal of
Population Studies Family policy from a global perspective

goals. Countries also report whether they do not engage demographic trends in the second half of the 20 century
th
in any interventions related to fertility. Among the (Chung et al., 2021). They transitioned swiftly from very
195 government reports included in the UN overview high to the lowest-low fertility rates, and now, faced with
(Table 1), 43 countries consider fertility levels to be too rapid population aging, these governments are working to
low and implement policies aimed at increasing fertility. raise fertility levels. A large majority of African countries
This is the case with most European countries and a group
of Asian countries. Asia is deeply divided in this respect. aim to lower fertility levels, as do some Latin American
While some countries still exhibit high fertility rates and countries and those in the Caribbean. However, most Latin
aim to lower them, several countries, particularly in East American governments plan no interventions, similar to
and Southeast Asia, have experienced a remarkable shift in the USA and Canada.

Table 1. Government views and policies on the level of fertility in their countries
Continent Raise Maintain Lower No intervention
Africa Gabon Angola, Botswana, Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African
Equatorial Guinea, Burundi, Cape Verde, Comoros, Republic, Chad, Dem. Republic
Mauritius, South Africa Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, of the Congo, Djibouti, Guinea-
Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Bissau, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya,
Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles,
Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Somalia
Mali, Mauritania, Morocco,
Mozambique, Namibia, Niger,
Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra
Leone, Sudan, Swaziland, Togo,
Tunisia, Uganda, United Republic
of Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Asia Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, China, Kyrgyzstan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Brunei Darussalam,
Georgia, Israel, Japan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Iran Dem. People’s Rep. of Korea, Iraq,
Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Mongolia, Thailand, Turkey, (Islamic Republic of), Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia,
Qatar, Republic of Korea, United Arab Emirates, Lao People’s Dem. Republic, Timor-Leste
Singapore, Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Maldives, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan,
Philippines, Syrian Arab Republic,
Tajikistan, Vietnam, Yemen
Europe Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, Albania, Andorra, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Holy See, Ireland,
France, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Malta, Netherlands,
Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway San Marino, Sweden, Switzerland,
Montenegro, Poland, Portugal, United Kingdom
Republic of Moldova, Romania,
Russian Federation, Serbia,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, TFYR
Macedonia, Ukraine
Latin America Barbados Panama, Saint Lucia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina,
and the St. Vincent and the Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia
Caribbean Grenadines, Suriname, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, (Plurinational State of), Brazil,
Trinidad and Tobago Nicaragua, Peru Chile, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador,
El Salvador, Grenada, Guyana,
Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis,
Uruguay, Venezuela (Bolivarian
Rep. of)
Northern Canada, United States of America
America
Oceania Australia, Cook Islands, Niue Nauru, New Zealand, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Palau
Tonga Micronesia (Federated States
of), Papua New Guinea, Samoa,
Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu
All 43 27 74 51
Source: Adapted from United Nations (2011b).

Volume 11 Issue 3 (2025) 119 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.1993