European countries face declining birth rates due to modernization, socio-economic challenges, and aging populations.
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Demographer Daumantas Stumbrys notes that even countries previously known for high birth rates, such as France and some Scandinavian nations, are experiencing declining birth rates, indicating a common European trend. He states there is no single cause for the decline, pointing instead to societal modernization and socioeconomic challenges, including an aging population and decreasing reproductive age among women. Discussions are underway in Lithuania regarding expanding access to assisted reproduction services to boost birth rates. Across Europe, countries like Poland, Romania, and the Czech Republic are hitting negative birth rate records. Experts attribute these declines to external factors such as socioeconomic instability, inflation, unemployment, migration, and the lack of adequate healthcare and education, alongside issues like the housing crisis. In contrast, Ireland is performing better, with a higher birth rate and a greater proportion of households with three or more children, supported by government incentives, although childcare costs remain high.
