According to an article in Helsingin Sanomat, birth and total fertility rates have declined in Finland, much like in other Western countries. The development has been rapid, as in 2011 the total fertility rate for women was still 1.87, but by 2023 it had dropped to 1.26, the lowest figure ever recorded in the country.
The reason for this worrying trend is not a reluctance to have children, as 80 percent of Finns still want to have two or more children. Instead, one of the main reasons for the low number of children is that Finnish women are postponing childbearing to a relatively late stage in life due to the demands of education and careers, and likely also due to a societal climate that idealizes youth and singlehood.
Unfortunately, female biology is such that fertility declines rapidly after the age of 30. As a result, the choices made in life often lead to unwanted childlessness.
The Finnish government has not remained inactive on this issue. It has commissioned a population policy report that proposes a financial incentive for having the first child before the age of 30.
According to the proposal, the incentive could range from €10,000 to €30,000 and could be tied, for example, to a mortgage or student loan. Alternatively, it could be used to reduce taxes.
The report also suggests increasing education about fertility in schools and investing in fertility treatments by providing more resources to the public sector, reducing waiting lists, and thereby ensuring the highest possible effectiveness of the treatments.
In regard to the latter, the government has already made a proposal that would provide state support for fertility treatments in the future. However, it remains to be seen whether the other proposals in the report will also be implemented in Finland.
In my view, this matter is becoming urgent, as the Finnish population is aging rapidly with the rising median age, and immigration to Finland does not seem to attract enough people whose skills would be useful in a knowledge-based society. On the contrary, it seems to be increasing the proportion of the population that needs to be supported rather than leading to effective employment of the newcomers.
Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Humanitarian immigration does not provide a solution to Finland's demographic dependency ratio
The Finnish Government is Unanimous on Fixing the Country's Economy
Why Can't Finland Find Workforce?
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