Joep Jannick Fernando

26 October
j 2013

FRENCH PRO-NATAL POLICY

A Pro natal policy, is one that encourages more births
through the use of incentives.

!
!

(Above)

Firstly, although this was already done last year, I shall run through
the French pro natal policy and its incentives.

! France introduced the Code de la Famille in 1939, as a way to

increase the birth rate, and thus the fertility rate. Due to France
having a low fertility rate, they have a high, and costly, elderly
population, and is currently costing the French government 12.9
billion, due to the large number of dependents, and few number of
economically active having to pay high taxes.

France encourages a
Fertility rate of 3,
whilst a fertility rate of
2.1 is needed for slight
growth.

!
But will the policy be a success?
!
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Joep Jannick Fernando

26 October
j 2013

!!
Incentives include:
!

Offering cash incentives to mothers

who stayed at home to care for
children.

!
Subsidising holidays.
!

Banning the sale of contraceptives

(repealed in 1967).

!Later and present incentives include:

Payment of up to 1064 to couples

having their third child.

!
Generous maternity grants.
!

Family allowances to increase the

purchasing power of three child
families.

Maternity leave on near full pay for

20 weeks for the Tirst child to 40
weeks or more for the third child.

100% mortgage and preferential

treatment in the allocation of three
bedroom council Tlats.

Full tax beneTits to parents until the

youngest child reaches 18.

30% fare reduction on all public

transport for three child families.

Pension schemes for mothers/

housewives.

Child-orientated development
policies e.g. provisioning of creches,
day nurseries etc.

Depending on the familys income,

childcare costs from virtually
nothing to around 500 a month for
the most well off of families.
~Geographyas.info

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Joep Jannick Fernando

26 October
j 2013

Now to answer the main question - Will it be a success

or not?

!
!

Its success is debatable, as it is costing the government

billions in Tinancial incentives for the parents, as well as still
having to pay for the ageing population.

Therefore it is not good in the short run, but its clearly

intended to be a long-term policy. The UN is also debating
whether the policy will have success and the UN states that it
will have little impact, as the French will not be able to
increase the fertility rate above the replacement level
(women only have enough children to replace themselves and
their partner, so a level of 2.0, while 2.1 is needed for a
sustainable population).

According to the UNs data, the population will only grow by

0.6 million from 2030 to 2050, and this is barely enough, thus
this policy could be quite economically damaging to the
country, and its hope of replenishing its working force looks
bleak. Perhaps they have to attempt to increase immigration
of the fertile age group..

However, from the French data, they state that the population
will grow from 62 Million present day, to a staggering 75
million in 2050.

There seems to be a huge difference in the UNs facts and the

French facts ~ Ah, la vache! Indeed

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