Slovakia: Fertility between tradition and modernity

Michaela Potančoková, Boris Vano, Viera Pilinská and Danuša Jurčová
Additional contact information
Michaela Potančoková: International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
Boris Vano: INFOSTAT Bratislava
Viera Pilinská: INFOSTAT Bratislava
Danuša Jurčová: INFOSTAT Bratislava

Demographic Research, 2008, vol. 19, issue 25, 973-1018

Abstract: In the last 60 years, Slovakia has experienced comparatively high and most recently very low fertility, long periods of stable fertility alternating with periods of changes, periods of substantial as well as lesser state interventions. Fertility was above replacement in 1990 and declined to the lowest-low levels during the period of transformation. Postponement of life course transitions – leaving the parental home, marrying and becoming a parent – became widespread among younger cohorts after 1990. High unemployment of young adults, increasing economy-driven migration and problems to gain a stable job contribute to this phenomenon. Reproductive behavior is changing, yet Slovak society remains culturally conservative. The dominant form of partnership is marriage, although extra-marital childbearing is rising. Cohabitation is spreading mainly as a prelude to marriage but is not widely approved. Population measures have a long tradition, although 15 years after regime change their nature is very different than that of the state socialist era. Considerable attention was and is being paid to population problems, however, the government has not designed and implemented a comprehensive system of family and population policies.

Keywords: fertility; childbearing; postponement; family size; Slovakia; Roma (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J1 Z0 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:dem:demres:v:19:y:2008:i:25

DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2008.19.25

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