Several Nordic countries that, for decades, have had among the world’s lowest birthrates, experienced a babyboom during the pandemic. In the second half of 2021, Iceland saw an incredible 16.5% more births than usual, and Finland and Norway experienced 7 and 5% more births, respectively.
Typically, a global crisis results in lower fertility rates. In the U.S., for example, the birthrate dropped by 4%. In China, it was a staggering 15%. For years, Nordic countries have offered generous incentives to increase child births, to little effect, as have other European nations that did not see a similar boom during the pandemic. So, money can’t explain it.
Perhaps for some, the pandemic highlighted what really matters.
One Icelandic mom of teenagers said: “We would just have conversations about everything and nothing and have fun and laugh. … I think that was the tipping point for me. I realized I wasn’t ready to be done with the mom thing.”
The mom thing—and the dad thing—is a good thing.
The Point: A Nordic Baby Boom?