Finland Offers Perks to Stop Its Declining Birth Rate. Women Shrug It Off!

Arshi Qureshi  and  Mirva Lempiainen – January 27, 2025

Finland, once a model for reconciling the demands of work and family life, is grappling with a rapidly declining birth rate amid a growing desire by adults to remain child-free. Despite generous parental-leave policies, high-quality child care, free education and universal health care, Finland’s fertility rate has fallen below the replacement level of 2.1, reflecting a broader trend across Europe.

Wealthy countries beyond Europe are not immune to this phenomenon either, with the birth rate in the United States, for example, hitting a historic low of 1.6 children per woman. Japan’s rate is 1.2. In Africa, which has a large youth population, the fertility rate in 2025 is projected to be 4.050 births per woman, a 1.3 percent decline from 2024.

And despite efforts to boost fertility rates, including declaring having babies an act of patriotism, China reported on Jan. 17 that its population fell for the third year in a row.

US Vice President J.D. Vance said at a rally recently: “Our society has failed to recognize the obligation that one generation has to another as a core part of living in a society. So let me say very simply, I want more babies in the United States of America.”.

In Finland, the fertility rate dropped to 1.32 children per woman in 2022, according to Statistics Finland. With a population of 5.5 million, the average age rose to 43 in 2023. Around 15 percent of Finns are under age 15, while 23 percent are over age 65.

Finland’s so-called “fertility paradox” counters the assumption that robust social welfare systems produce higher fertility rates.

Dr. Oskari Heikinheimo, an ob-gyn in Helsinki, the capital, points to changing societal priorities as a major factor. “The traditional model of the nuclear family is no longer the sole aspiration for many young people,” he said.

Finnish women increasingly delay motherhood in pursuit of higher education and career ambitions. Many people put off parenthood because they are single: nearly a quarter of Finns and about half of Helsinki residents live alone. Finding a like-minded partner has become more difficult as a growing gender gap in political leanings is also a factor in the dropping birth rate.

Between 2010 and 2019, Finland’s fertility rate declined from 1.87 to 1.35, placing it below Britain’s rate of 1.6 and only slightly above Italy’s 1.3. The Finnish downward trend contrasts with the early 2000s, when the birth rate increased from 1.73 in 2000 to 1.87 in 2010, suggesting that earlier social policies promoting gender equality and family support had a positive impact during that period. But the current low birth rate indicates these social measures were unable to sustain long-term growth.

Globally, declining birth rates raise national concerns about slowing economic growth and the ability to sustain social welfare programs for aging populations, with some experts viewing the trend as a crisis for humanity.

The debate around declining birth rates has become politicized in Finland, echoing other European countries. The rise of right-wing populism across the continent has resulted in a resurgence of pro-natalist policies, reflecting a conservative socially undercurrent.

Anna Rotkirch, a researcher with Finland’s Population Research Institute, said of the evolving social landscape: “Among Finnish adults aged 22-40 who say they would like to have at least one child, the main reason for not having a child is the lack of a suitable partner.”

In Finland, immigration has been promoted as a remedy to declining birth rates, and in 2023, the country recorded a net gain of 58,000 immigrants, according to Statistics Finland. However, immigrants face obstacles such as language barriers and cultural biases when entering the workforce. Even with a more welcoming approach, Finland must compete with other developed countries to attract skilled immigrants, as a cold Nordic climate is often not the top choice for outsiders.

Finnish lawmakers are pushing to increase the birth rate, but some have been criticized for aggressively pressuring citizens to participate in “synnytystalkoot,” which has no direct translation to English. It refers to a communal effort to increase the birth rate, sort of a “birthing bee.”

To make parenthood more appealing, Finland extended its paid parental leave in 2022, which now totals 13 months — 6.5 months for each parent. The country also has some of the lowest maternal mortality rates globally and heavily subsidized day care. Yet, the declining number of births threatens the financial health of the social welfare system.

The rising age of first-time mothers in Finland is another challenge for the government. In 2018, nearly 24 percent of mothers giving birth for the first time were 35 or older, compared with 20 to 24 percent in other Nordic countries, according to research by Mika Gissler from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, a federal agency.

While delaying childbirth allows women to pursue personal and professional goals, these pregnancies can be riskier than younger pregnancies and decrease the likelihood of having more than one child.

For some Finns, delaying parenthood is an obvious choice. Eira Talka, 41, became a mother at 36 after spending years traveling and working abroad. “I never even wished for a child when I was under 30,” she said. “I just wanted to live life for myself.”

Talka feels that she and her husband have fared well as slightly older parents. “Maybe the nighttime wake-ups with a baby would have been easier if we had been younger, but it’s hard to know,” she said.

“I believe that as a younger mother I would have been more helpless and less mature in some demanding situations,” she added.

Finnish media reports confirm that conflicting ideologies between genders — men leaning toward right-wing policies and women becoming more left-wing — have made it harder to form families. Talka notes that finding the right person to share life with can be difficult.

“This ideological divide is likely linked to differences in lifestyles, places of residence and the inability of some young men to adapt to life in Finland,” she said. “Political attitudes harden when life doesn’t go as expected.”

Greater acceptance of diverse family structures, such as single parenthood and same-sex couples, has also offered Finns more freedom while introducing more complexities to childrearing. Rotkirch said that the cultural expectation that everything must be perfect before starting a family could influence decisions, too, as it “contributes to procrastination.”

Stability in finances, career and relationships has become a prerequisite for parenthood, she noted, creating hindrances for many young people.

Barriers such as lower education levels and higher unemployment rates seem to heavily impact men in Finland. Statistics show that young men contending with such problems are less likely to become parents. According to 2015 and 2017 figures from Statistics Finland and the Family Federation of Finland, a whopping 36 percent of men with low education levels had no children by age 40 to 45. For women with low education, the figure was 23 percent.

Another factor impacting the decreasing birth rate is the rise of the child-free movement. According to the Family Federation of Finland’s 2023 Family Barometer, 15 percent of all Finns identify as “voluntarily childfree,” and 25 percent of those under 25 say they don’t want any children.

Soile Rajamaki, president of the Finnish Childfree Association, emphasized the importance of respecting individuals’ decisions. “Many believe that being child-free is an innate quality or identity issue,” she said, noting that personal freedom and environmental concerns often influence this choice. Founded in 2012, the association has expanded steadily, offering a space for people to discuss their experiences and find support. It also advocates for the inclusion of sterilizations under public health care coverage, an option that is at risk.

Indeed, the minimum age for sterilization in Finland is 30, but the association wants to lobby for a lower age.

Some Finnish parents feel a lack of psychological support from society as well. “It’s a fact that Finnish society is hostile towards children, or maybe it’s hostility towards the parents,” said Helsinki-based Julia Thuren, a 37-year-old mother of three and social media influencer who highlights the fun aspects of parenthood.

Thuren, who travels a lot around southern Finland with her children, ages two to eight, said she often receives disapproving looks from other passengers on public transportation. “It’s rare for people to actually say something; it’s more just giving me the evil eye,” she said.

Addressing Finland’s shift toward individualism and career-oriented lifestyles has influenced a range of family planning approaches. Many municipalities with aging populations have resorted to offering financial bonuses to encourage childbirth among younger folks. Over 100 towns and cities, according to a study by the Association of Finnish Municipalities, provided a baby bonus two years ago, typically around 500 euros (about $520). Some places, like Tervola in Finnish Lapland, offer up to 6,000 euros (about $6,250) paid over five years.

But financial incentives alone are unlikely to be effective; the municipality of Lestijarvi, for example, discontinued its 10,000-euro (approximately, $10,400) baby bonus program due to its lack of success.

“This concern about the reduced birth rate is more accurately a concern about a cultural change, where motherhood is no longer raised on the pedestal to be a woman’s only true goal in life,” Rajamaki of the Finnish Childfree Association said.

WUNRN

Finland Offers More Perks to Stop Its Declining Birth Rate. Women Shrug It Off – PassBlue