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France Proposes Birth Leave and Egg-Freezing Centres as Fertility Hits Postwar Lows

Ministers say paid birth leave, expanded childcare subsidies and new egg-freezing centres will counter France’s decade-long fertility slump.

Le modèle de la famille à deux enfants reste dominant même si elle est «perçue comme un maximum, non comme un minimum»
Selon les premiers résultats de l’Étude des relations familiales et intergénérationnelles publiés mercredi 9 juillet, les Français veulent moins d’enfants.
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Overview

  • France’s total fertility rate fell from 2.0 children per woman in 2014 to 1.6 in 2024.
  • Just 663,000 babies were born in 2024, marking the lowest annual tally since World War II.
  • An Ined survey finds 65% of adults view two children as ideal, yet average intended family size among under-30s dropped to 1.9.
  • Longer studies, housing shortages and greater economic precarity are prompting young adults to delay parenthood and reduce their desired family size.
  • Economists warn that persistently low birth rates could trigger global population decline by 2055 and heighten strains on France’s welfare model.