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Chapter 1 - Is 40 the New 30? Increasing Reproductive Intentions and Fertility Rates beyond Age 40

from Section 1 - Demographic Trends

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 September 2022

By
Éva Beaujouan  and
Tomáš Sobotka
Edited by
Dimitrios S. Nikolaou  and
David B. Seifer
Dimitrios S. Nikolaou
Affiliation:
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London
David B. Seifer
Affiliation:
Yale Reproductive Medicine, New Haven, CT
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Summary

A long-term trend of delayed childbearing in the highly developed countries has resulted in a rising number of women having children at advanced reproductive ages. We draw on vital statistics, register and survey data for European countries to outline the main trends in late reproduction, focusing on fertility plans and actual fertility rates among women past age 40. We pay special attention to education differences in late fertility. We document a rapid increase in late childbearing across Europe, fuelled especially by rising first and second birth rates. The share of women planning their first or second child in their late 30s or early 40s has increased rapidly as well, signalling that many women aim to become mothers at an age when they are likely to face infertility or pregnancy complications. We discuss the role medically assisted reproduction plays in this trend. In conclusion, we argue that trends in late childbearing will become one of the critical factors determining the future of fertility and reproduction.

Keywords

Fertilitylate reproductive ageschildlessnessreproductive intentionsinfertilityassisted reproductionin vitro fertilisationEurope
Type
Chapter
Information
Optimizing the Management of Fertility in Women over 40 , pp. 3 - 13
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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