How the population policy works. How are the French population encouraged to increase the fertility rate?
How successful has the population policy(ies) been?
1) France has an ageing population, in which there is a large number of pensioners being supported by a declining number of workers. In 2013, 67% of the population is of working age, however in 2050 only 57% of the population will be of working age, showing that the size of the workforce is decreasing. 1/3 of France’s population will be over 60 in 2050 which shows that the number of pensioners is increasing. The number of pensioners is also increasing as the life expectancy is increasing.
2) France has been trying to increase the population by increasing the fertility rate. France is a developed country in which many women are well educated and this causes many to choose to have no children or one child later. To increase the fertility rate the French government is trying to increase the fertility rate by helping working women to have families. In an effort to reconcile family life with working women the French government has set up the most extensive state funded child-care program in Europe. Child care facilities are subsidized by the government. Day care is available for children who are 3 months old. For children who are 2 to 3 years old there is a pre-school program. To make large families more appealing for working women the maternity leave has also lengthened. Women get 1 weeks of paid maternity leave for their first child, however the length of the maternity leave increases and gets up to 26 weeks for the third child. In total there are more than 26 months of maternity leave which are available for working women. The French government also gives financial benefits to large families. For example more money is pledged to families who have three children; families can choose to receive $ 610 a month for 3 years or $ 895 a month for one year. The population has also increased due to immigration. Immigration has increased by 100,000 a year which caused there to be 4.2 million foreign born residents in 2012, which are essential for balancing the ageing population.
3) The pro-natalist policy of France is having a negative effect on the economy. France’s welfare system is over drawn. The change in population has cost the welfare system a lot because it covers retirement, which is increasing with the large ageing population. The ageing population has also put more pressure on the health care system. The new policies have had a direct impact on the economy because the new child care facilities and the financial incentives are costing the welfare system. This has caused a budget shortfall of € 12.9 billion. However the measures have increased the population of France and it is predicted to be 68 million in 2030.
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