The global economic downturn stopped the first rise in fertility rates in more than 40 years, research reveals.
Academics found that the recession of 2008-09 led to a decline in fertility rates as young, professional women feared for their financial future if they became pregnant.
The downturn which started three years ago brought to an end the first concerted rise in fertility rates in the developing world since the 1960s, the study found.
In some large countries like the USA and Spain, the recession actually reversed the upwardfertility trend.
In others like England, Ireland and Italy, the rising fertility rates were interrupted.
The study was conducted by the Vienna Institute of Demography of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.
Researchers said that a rise in unemployment and general job uncertainty was a "key factor" behind this trend.
The decline could last until 2013, but is unlikely to affect overall worldwide population growth.
Tomáš Sobotka, one of the researchers of the VID, said: "Highly educated women react to employmentuncertainty by adopting a 'postponement strategy', especially if they are childless."
"In contrast, less-educated women often maintain or increase their fertility under economic uncertainty."He added.
The study is published in the latest issue of Population and Development Review.


据英国《每日邮报》29日报道，研究显示，全球经济低迷叫停了四十多年以来的第一次生育增势。

学者认为2008-2009年的经济衰退导致生育率下降是因为年轻的职业女性担心怀孕会影响到她们未来的收入状况。

研究发现，生育率连续三年下滑，使得从上世纪60年代开始在发展中国家中整体出现的第一轮生育增势出现停滞。

诸如在美国和西班牙这样的大国，经济衰退实际上彻底扭转了生育上升趋势。
另外一些国家，例如，英国、爱尔兰和意大利，生育上升趋势也被中断。

奥地利科学院的维也纳人口统计学协会开展了此项研究。

研究人员称失业率增高和工作的普遍不稳定性是造成这种趋势的主要原因。
生育下降可能会持续到2013年，但是不大可能会影响到世界范围内的人口增长。

维也纳人口统计学协会的研究员托马什•索博特卡说："高学历女性，尤其对于那些尚未做母亲的人群，采用生育'延迟策略'以应对就业的不确定性。"

"相比之下，受教育程度较低的女性在经济不稳定时，往往会保持或增加她们的生育水平。" 托马什说。
这项研究发表在最新一期的《人口及发展评论》上。

• research [ri´sə:tʃ] n.&vi.调查；探究；研究 (初中英语单词)
• professional [prə´feʃənəl] a.职业的 n.自由职业 (初中英语单词)
• financial [fi´nænʃəl] a.金融的，财政的 (初中英语单词)
• actually [´æktʃuəli] ad.事实上；实际上 (初中英语单词)
• upward [´ʌpwəd] a.&ad.向上(的)；以上 (初中英语单词)
• institute [´institju:t] n.学院 vt.建立；设置 (初中英语单词)
• academy [ə´kædəmi] n.专科学校；学会；协会 (初中英语单词)
• affect [ə´fekt] vt.影响；感动；假装 (初中英语单词)
• employment [im´plɔimənt] n.工作；职业；雇用 (初中英语单词)
• contrast [´kɔntrɑ:st] n.对比 v.使对比(照) (初中英语单词)
• maintain [mein´tein] vt.维持；保持；继续 (初中英语单词)
• review [ri´vju:] v.&n.复习；回顾；检查 (初中英语单词)
• ireland [´aiələnd] n.爱尔兰 (高中英语单词)
• unemployment [,ʌnim´plɔimənt] n.失业；失业人数 (高中英语单词)
• vienna [vi´enə] n.维也纳 (英语四级单词)
• uncertainty [ʌn´sə:tənti] n.不可靠；不确定的事 (英语四级单词)
• fertility [fə:´tiliti] n.肥沃；多产；繁殖力 (英语六级单词)
• unlikely [ʌn´laikli] a.不像的；未必可能的 (英语六级单词)