The Unexpected Baby Boom (and Why It Matters)

How smart policies in 7 countries are reversing the fertility decline.

Author

Philip Saparov
September 15, 2025

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Greetings, curious navigator of global change!

While much of the world faces falling birthrates, a few countries are quietly reversing the trend—on purpose.

Smart policy. Bold incentives. Surprising results.

Here are seven places where babies are bouncing back—and why it matters to you.

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France has long been an outlier in Europe for one key reason: its fertility rate refuses to collapse. While its neighbors drift well below replacement, France continues to hover near 1.8 children per woman, one of the highest rates in the EU.

How? It’s not magic—it’s infrastructure. The French government offers generous parental leave, subsidized childcare, and direct monthly allowances for families. Crucially, these benefits are designed not just for the rich or the poor—but for everyone.

The universal nature of support normalizes parenthood as part of civic life, not a personal burden.

Did you know? French families receive a monthly allowance for each child starting with the second—currently over €130/month per child.

In Hungary, the government isn’t just nudging citizens to have kids—it’s offering them mortgage forgiveness, tax relief, and lump-sum incentives for growing their families.

Introduced in the 2010s, Hungary's family policies now include a $30,000 grant for mothers who have three children, and lifetime income tax exemption for women with four or more.

Since these reforms began, Hungary’s fertility rate rose from 1.25 in 2011 to 1.6 by 2021, a rare upward shift in Europe.

Unusual stat: In Hungary, the number of women with four or more children doubled in just a decade—a reversal of a 50-year trend.

Israel's fertility rate—about 3.0 children per woman—is the highest in the developed world, and it’s remained stable for decades.

What makes this even more fascinating is that it cuts across religious and secular lines. While ultra-Orthodox communities do skew the average, secular Jewish women in Israel still average 2.1 children—above replacement.

The reason? A strong cultural orientation toward family, state-funded IVF (unlimited rounds!), and a deeply supportive child-raising ecosystem.

Extraordinary fact: Israel’s government funds unlimited IVF treatments for women under 45—until they have two children.

Once global role models for “family-friendly states,” Nordic countries are now seeing slight declines in fertility. But unlike many others, they’re actively adapting.

Take Sweden: After a brief dip, its fertility rate is stabilizing thanks to flexible parental leave, high-quality daycare, and support for dual-income families.

🇩🇰 Denmark, too, has seen rebounds, partly due to national campaigns promoting family formation—sometimes with humor, like the famous “Do It for Denmark” campaign.

Unexpected insight: In 🇳🇴 Norway, parents can split a full year of paid leave—and fathers must take a portion, or it’s lost.

Kazakhstan isn’t often in demographic discussions, but it should be. With a fertility rate around 3.0, it’s one of the highest among upper-middle-income countries.

This isn’t just cultural. The government provides a monthly “child benefit”, and new mothers receive a state-sponsored baby box with essentials.

What’s more, Kazakhstan is leveraging its demographic growth into a strategic economic asset, building industries that serve a younger, growing population.

Fascinating fact: The median age in Kazakhstan is just 31.6, compared to 48.4 in Japan.

No country is more infamous for low fertility than South Korea—its rate recently dipped below 0.72. But change may be brewing.

In response, the government is unleashing a suite of aggressive policies: free childcare, monthly baby stipends, housing subsidies for new families, and cash payouts for each birth.

The city of Seoul now pays families $740 per month for a year after childbirth. Early data shows these steps may be slowing the decline.

Watch this space: South Korea has gone from ignoring its demographic crisis to spending 2.6% of GDP on family policy—among the highest in the world.

7. 🇸🇬 Singapore: Engineering Parenthood in a High-Cost City

Singapore faces the classic urban fertility challenge: high costs, long work hours, and delayed marriage. But unlike many other cities, it’s actively trying to reverse course.

Policies include up to $26,000 in cash bonuses per child, subsidized housing for married couples, and tax rebates for working parents. Plus, the government hosts state-sponsored dating services and marriage prep programs.

Fertility is still low, at 1.05—but it’s stabilized for now, and the nation’s proactive stance could yield future gains.

Surprising detail: Singapore parents receive priority kindergarten placement if they volunteer at the school before applying.

In a world of shrinking populations, a few countries are rewriting the rules.

From bold cash incentives to universal childcare, these aren’t just policies—they're blueprints for a different future.

Whether you're planning a family, a move, or an investment—know where the momentum is.

Stay sharp, stay curious, and keep watching the forces shaping tomorrow.

Warm regards,

Shane Fulmer
Founder, WorldPopulationReview.com

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