Eastern Europe birth dearth

Douglas Muir points out that the birth rate in Eastern Europe took a nosedive after communism ended and economic chaos ensued. Now, what relative few women born in those years are reaching child-bearing age — just as this killer recession is poised to reduce fertility rates further. Muir:

Demographically, the recession is coming at the very worst possible time: roughly one generation after birthrates crashed across the region. This suggests that over the next couple of years, countries like Russia and Ukraine are going to see record low birthrates in both absolute and relative terms. This, in turn, suggests that starting next year, long-term demographic projections for those countries are going to start nosing downwards.

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Eastern Europe birth dearth
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