북유럽 사례에서 보듯, 저출산 문제는 정부정책만으로는 근본적인 한계가 있다; 패러다임 쉬프트가 이루어져야 한다

 

Nordic countries like Sweden and Finland were long upheld as the gold standard in baby-boosting government practices. Pro-natal policies — like better parental leave, strong welfare services, and childcare support — formed part of the social policy system known as “the Nordic model”, and these incentives for child rearing led to a baby bump in Sweden in the early 1990s. But now, even these countries are seeing birth rates slump below replacement level.

In an interview with the Financial Times in January, Finnish demographer Anna Rotkirch outlined that, in spite of government incentives, having children can fall to the wayside of other opportunities for many Nordic adults:

“In most societies, having children was a cornerstone of adulthood. Now it’s something you have if you already have everything else. It becomes the capstone.” — Anna Rotkirch