Abstract
When does fertility in a country become so low or so high that a government needs to intervene? This paper sheds light on this population policy question, based on a worldwide survey among demographers. We examine how professionals’ policy preferences regarding fertility levels are affected by their views on the impacts of population growth/decline and by fertility in their country of residence. The median respondent suggests intervention once fertility goes below 1.4 children or above 3.0. Three results stand out: first, demographers who are concerned about the carrying capacity of the earth are more willing to intervene than those who are less concerned. Second, the context of decision-making matters: experts living in high-fertility countries are more set on intervention than those living in low-fertility countries, but their threshold fertility level is also higher. Third, political orientation matters: right-leaning demographers are more set on government intervention than left-leaning demographers.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 289-303 |
| Journal | Population Studies |
| Volume | 75 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Early online date | 22 Jul 2020 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 01 Jul 2021 |
Keywords
- fertility
- demographers
- replacement rate
- population decline
- family planning
- population policy