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UAE sees big drop in birth rate; fertility to slightly improve in coming decades

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The UAE has seen a drop in its number of births per woman over the past three decades but one of the country has the lowest fertility rates globally could see a modest improvement during the next 30 years, according to a UN report.


The report, published in a special issue of the World Fertility Report 2024 found that the fertility rate of live births per woman decreased from 3.76 in 1994 to 1.21 in 2024. In the UAE, they are only predicting a small increase, with rates of live births per woman expected to rise to 1.34, by 2054.


UAE doctors have placed the blame for this decline on the lifestyle decisions of residents.And in 2020 the government steps forward through the Ministry of Family and the later by upgrading the Ministry of ComDev to the Ministry of Community Empowerment.


Such changes are intended to encourage families to build, support and strengthen families as a unit and, particularly, birth rates among nationals of the United Arab Emirates.


Moreover, the Department of Community Development – Abu Dhabi (DCD) has launched a programme that included six initiatives aimed at assisting UAE Nationals in terms of marriage and family establishment and expansion, as well as the growth of families, and the development of family and social cohesion.


Some mothers also complained that their long working hours offered little time for family and time to plan for more children, so during a Federal National Council virtual session in January 2020 citizens stressed the need to reduce working hours and extend maternity leave in the country to boost fertility rates.


A global norm


Fertility levels of less than 2 births per woman are shrinking to the worldwide norm, the UN's new unedited report said. It also cautioned that extremely low fertility means population decrease, and an ageing population.


The case is similar in Gulf Arab neighbors. For Saudi Arabia, which is home to the largest population within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) area, fertility rates fell from 5.16 live births per woman in 1994 to 2.31 in 2024. Over the next thirty years, it is expected to fall to 1.85.


Likewise, in Oman, the fertility rate fell from 5.36 live births per woman thirty years previously to 2.51 last year. In terms of the lowest rate among the Gulf region, the rate in Kuwait decreased from 3.27 in 1994 to 1.51 in 2024.


The rate dropped to 1.72 in 2024 from 3.66 per 1,000 births in 1994 in Qatar. In Bahrain fertility had fallen from 3.29 in 1994 to 1.8 by 2024


1.0 birth rate in 4 countries


According to the UN report, the world had an average fertility rate of 2.2 births per woman in 2024 — down from about 5 in the 1960s and from 3.3 births in 1990.
This rate is expected to fall further, to the replacement level of 2.1 in 2050 and to 1.8 births per woman in 2100.


Fertility is below the rate of 2.1 births per woman in 55 per cent of all countries and areas, accounting for over two-thirds of the world population. This includes parts of both developing and developed world including some of the most populous countries on earth like India, China, US, Brazil and the Russian Federation.


The report stated that in 2024, one in six countries and areas – 17 per cent – had fertility levels exceeding 2.1 but are expected to drop below this level within three decades. This list includes two of the most populous countries, Indonesia, and Bangladesh.


Since 1990 there are now more than 1 in 10 countries and areas globally with fertility below 1.4 births per woman. It is less than 1 per cent in four countries– China, South Korea, Singapore and Ukraine.


Birth Rate Plummets in the UAE—will Fertility get better in the Coming Decade? Keep up with this data trend of the flow of population. Subscribe to Just Dubai for updates. 

By: admin

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