ITALY'S FERTILITY

ITALY'S FERTILITY

1. CAUSES

   • Educational
     • More people in full time education
     • Increase woman workforce from 5.2million to 7.4million from 1971-1991
     • women choosing work over children
   • Social
     • Urbanisation - Italy has become a richer society post WW2, more materialistic choosing possessions over children
     • Change in culture. particularly the catholic church, people are beginning to ignore rules such as no contraception so that it suits one's way of living
     • Emancipation of women; independence; not as strict of working women, people no longer feel guilty for not having children
     • marrying later in life - less time to have children
     • limited part time work available, restricting school hours
   • Economic
     • Rise in house prices (notably the north) mean fewer people can afford homes - children seem way to expensive.
     • Childcare is expensive
   • Political
     • Few government benefits to families
     • Poor support for working mothers such as little childcare (discourages people)

2. CONTEXT

   • Italy has the second lowest birth rate in Europe
   • 40% over 60 and less than 15% under 20
   • Declining rate of natural increase since 1960's

3. EFFECTS

   • Demographic 'time bomb' little time to sort out the population, and how to replace it in time
   • More pensions are required and health service (spending on other areas cut)
   • Fewer young workers coming into the market.
   • Decrease in demand for education services
   • Reduction in economic workforce - fewer people paying tax - less money in for the government to spend
   • Possibly leave towns and cities with thousands of surplus houses/apartments
   • Wages cut to manage government spending, and cover debt

4. SOLUTIONS

   • immigration- traditionally very negative attitudes toward this have had to change in recent years as birth rate continues to fall
   • Encourage private pension schemes
   • Raise the retirement age (by 5 years) as there not enough young workers to take the jobs of those who would retire
   • Evaluation of school hours and child benefit scheme