On the Role of family Policy in the Nordic Countries: Sociologisk Arbejdspapir nr. 17

Compared to other countries, e.g. in Southern Europe the fertility in the Nordic countries is relatively high. This paper discusses the role of Family Policy in the Nordic Countries in this respect. The Nordic countries experienced a decline in fertility in the first three decades of the 20th century where after the total fertility rates increased until the late 1960s where a new decline took off. Throughout the studied period, policy measures influencing living conditions for families have been influenced by concern for population development, for reconciliation between family and work obligations, for gender equality and most recently, a growing concern for securing time for both work and private life. These policy measures have aimed at improving living conditions for families with children and thus only indirectly at increasing the propensity to have children. The paper argues that the Nordic Welfare state provides proper frames for women and men to choose whether to have a family or not.