Declining global fertility rates and the implications for family planning and family building: an IFFS consensus document based on a narrative review of the literature
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative literature review and expert consensus document without systematic review methodology or new human data.
OpenAlex W4390701907 · doi:10.1093/humupd/dmad028
What was done
An expert panel convened by the International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS) performed a narrative review of PubMed literature on global fertility decline, family-building approaches, and disparities in access to fertility care. Sections drafted by expert sub-groups were discussed and refined to reach full consensus during a hybrid invitational meeting.
What was found
Half of all countries globally currently have fertility rates below replacement level, with many projected to experience population decreases greater than 50% between 2017 and 2100 without migration. Although fertility care contributes up to 10% of total births in select wealthy nations, high treatment costs make care unaffordable for the majority of the global population, and public spending on child benefits and fertility treatment varies widely.
Why it matters
It highlights the need to shift demographic and family-planning frameworks from solely preventing unintended pregnancies to supporting family building and equitable fertility care access amid worldwide population decline.
Limits
The conclusions derive from an unstructured narrative review rather than a systematic review with formal study screening, quality assessment, or quantitative pooling. The abstract does not provide the total number of studies reviewed or detailed country-by-country data.
Cited by
- supports Society is currently experiencing a massive drop in fertility and birth rates are well below replacement level.