| Declining Birth Rates of Italy | | | | phenomenon of low birth rates is being studied by |
| Italy, as we all know, is the world center of the Catholic | | | | people who study social and public policy in Europe. |
| Church. Strangely, in spite of its deep-rooted Catholic | | | | They believe that in the past, having children was a |
| culture and tradition, it has today changed into a nation | | | | way of investing in ones old age security. This meant |
| having the second lowest birth rates in Europe, next | | | | that if one had more children he had more hands to |
| only to Spain. At 1.2 per woman that means one child | | | | help with farming and the family business as well as |
| per woman, according to Global Agenda Magazine. | | | | more people to take care of him in his old age. With |
| It was brought out in an article in April 2004 in the | | | | the introduction of pension systems where you pay |
| Sunday Telegraph that Swedens Birth rate was close | | | | for your own future security, the older people have |
| to Italys though 50% higher. In order to arrest this | | | | become less dependent on their children for their |
| situation, the Italian Government started offering 1,000 | | | | financial needs and this has had a major impact on |
| euros to every woman who had a second child. | | | | birth rates. |
| Other traditionally Catholic nations, like Ireland and | | | | They also feel that since people have to pay higher |
| France, have the highest and second highest birth | | | | taxes to support these kinds of social programmes, |
| rates in Europe. Even Sweden has a 50% higher birth | | | | they have lower disposable incomes and less money |
| rate in comparison to Italy. These increased numbers | | | | to meet the expenses of bringing up more children. |
| may be due to better government-controlled child and | | | | Another cause for the declining birth rate is the fact |
| health care facilities as well as incentives for families | | | | that more women are working full-time during their |
| that have more children. | | | | childbearing years. Child-care programmes of different |
| Ireland and France, on the other hand, other traditionally | | | | countries vary. For example, Norway has better |
| Catholic countries, have the first and second highest | | | | financial and infrastructure facilities as compared to |
| birth rates in Europe. These numbers may be | | | | Italy. Norwegian day-care centers are government |
| explained by more generous government-funded child | | | | funded and mothers have the option to work part-time, |
| and health care and benefits for families that have | | | | without affecting their position at work. They also get |
| children. | | | | longer maternity leave. |
| It is a cause of concern that this trend will result in | | | | It is important to seriously start thinking as to how the |
| having a large number of people who are old and | | | | people of today in Italy will be supported when they |
| there are only a few people contributing gainfully to the | | | | grow old. Nevertheless this problem of low birth rate is |
| society. This situation is likely in countries like Russia, | | | | definitely better than the problem that comes with very |
| Japan, Italy and other eastern European countries. This | | | | high population growth. |