Low Fertility and Social Policy: Comparing Poland and Russia

Ewa Fratczak, Warsaw School of Economics
Michele Rivkin-Fish

Until the period of political and social transformation that began in 1989, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe were characterized by relatively stable demographic developments. The dramatic changes in demographic processes since the fall of communist regimes were thus unexpected in their range, direction, and pace. This paper examines what is and is not known about these significant shifts in fertility and family formation. Drawing on multi-disciplinary perspectives from demography, sociology, and cultural anthropology, we outline the similarities and differences in population trends, policies, and debates over low fertility in Poland and Russia. We argue that population politics and social policy must be part of new theoretical formulations regarding fertility and family change. Our findings highlight the importance of debates and policies in creating a specific environment in which fertility changes occur, and notes how different these environments may be between countries, even with apparently similar trends.