France Urges Young Adults Under 30 to Start Families Earlier Amid Growing Fertility Crisis
The French government has unveiled plans to encourage young adults—particularly those around the age of 29—to start having children earlier, amid growing concerns over a deepening fertility crisis.
Health officials say the initiative is aimed at preventing future regret, as many people experience fertility challenges later in life and wish they had acted sooner. The campaign forms part of a 16-point strategy designed to reverse France’s declining birth rate, a trend affecting several Western countries, including the UK, according to Sky News.
France’s fertility rate currently stands at 1.56 children per woman, well below the 2.1 required to maintain a stable population. Officials warn that the decline is fuelling anxiety over the long-term sustainability of pensions and healthcare systems as the population ages and the number of working taxpayers continues to fall.
As part of the new approach, the government plans to provide “targeted, balanced and scientifically sound”information to young people on fertility, sexual health and contraception. The health ministry stressed that fertility should be viewed as a shared responsibility between men and women.
France is also expanding the number of egg-freezing centres from 40 to 70 and positioning itself as a leader in fertility research. The country already offers free egg-freezing for individuals aged 29 to 37, a service that can cost around £5,000 per cycle in the UK.
However, critics argue that encouraging earlier childbirth alone will not solve the problem, insisting that broader issues such as housing, childcare, maternity care and financial stability must be addressed.
Demographers say concerns intensified after France recorded more deaths than births last year for the first time, a development that sent shockwaves across the country. The government has also acknowledged that France’s maternal and infant mortality rates are higher than those of neighbouring nations, with a review of perinatal care currently underway.
