Fertility in Central and Eastern

Europe after 1989: Collapse and

Gradual Recovery
Tomáš Sobotka
Tomáš Sobotka
• Received his PhD in Demography from the
Population Research Centre, University of
Groningen (the Netherlands) in 2004
• He is currently a member of the European
Association for Population Studies (EAPS)
Council
• His area of expertise are Fertility and
Family Changes in Low-fertility Settings,
Fertility Measurement, Fertility Intentions
& Ideals, and Education and Fertility,
Assisted Reproduction
Objective

1. Outlining the economic and social differentiation across the region

in understanding the recent fertility and family transformation
2. Contribution to mapping, analyzing and discussing the major aspect
of transformation and interpreting the context of social, economic
and values changes before and after 1990.
 Scope of the Study
This study covers European post-communist*, including Russia, but it
does not cover Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Kosovo.
*Czech Republic, Poland, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Hungary, Russian Federation, and
Estonia
1989, was the year when the Germans brought down the Berlin Wall, that
considered as the symbol of division
It was also the year when the revolutionary wave was formed, that resulted in the
end of communist rule in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)
Before 1989
• Families was sustained by the system
- there are many family policies
- system of preferential housing distribution
- the pattern of full employment
- limited market competition
- income equalization
After 1989
• The economic transition from the state-controlled regulated system
to mostly private-owned market competition
- economic downturns with high inflation
- rising structural unemployment
- collapses of ineffective industries and poverty
- labor market and wages become more differentiated by social
status
• Massive changes in higher education but there are a low rates in
crèches and kindergarten
 Four prominent explanation of fertility
changes in CEE after 1989
• Economic Crisis and Uncertainty
• Second Demographic Transition
• Postponement Transition
• Contraceptive Revolution
Economic
Crisis
and
Uncertainty
Second Demographic Transition
• According to Van de Kaa (1996: 426) "overwhelming preoccupation
with self-fulfillment ,personal freedom of choice, personal
development and lifestyle, and emancipation”
• However, an alternative view, expressed by Thornton and Philipov
(2009), sees the observed ideational and behavioral changes mostly
as an outcome of 'developmental idealism', i.e., embracing values,
living standards, and institutions from the 'West' in a belief that this
may lead to a rapid economic progress and eventually a convergence
to 'Western‘ living standards and economic effectiveness.
Postponement
Transition
Contraceptive
Revolution
Conclusion
There were differences in before and after, but the similarities are still
there. The only changes that happened in building a family is that the
people are uncertain in their country, especially in having a low rate of
unemployment. Also the schools or university are open to everyone,
where they were girls or boys. Abortion is the similarities they both
have, although after 1989 it was now legalized and an alternative can
be used, such as the pill, IUD or condoms.