MPIDR Working Paper

Family policies and low fertility in Western Europe

Neyer, G. R.
MPIDR Working Paper WP-2003-021, 63 pages.
Rostock, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (July 2003)
Open Access

Abstract

This article examines current family policies in Western Europe against the backdrop of fertility decline in Europe. Its objective is to depict the nature of family policies from a cross-national perspective in order to illuminate potential relationships between them and demographic patterns. The article concentrates on those family policies that constitute the core of welfare-state policies related to childbearing and the rearing of children: Maternity policies, parental-leave policies, childcare services, and child benefits.
The Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) in Rostock is one of the leading demographic research centers in the world. It's part of the Max Planck Society, the internationally renowned German research society.