Introduction

The process of ageing now taking place in the rich countries of Western and Northern Europe has not yet affected Central and Eastern Europe or the countries of the former Soviet Union, Hungary being the sole exception. This process is influenced by, on the one hand, a lower average number of children in families of each succeeding generation and, on the other hand, longer average life spans. In Hungary there is a degree of similarity with demographic trends in the post-industrial societies, but only in the area of birth rates.

In most of Central and Eastern Europe the trend towards lower fertility first emerged in the 1970s, which was a decade of rising consumer aspirations in the wake of improved GNP growth, although in Poland the decline in birth rates began somewhat later. It should be noted that in these former socialist countries the state pursued active pro-birth policies using the whole gamut of social policy instruments available for this purpose: extended maternity and child-rearing leave; child-rearing allowances; guaranteed jobs for mothers returning from child-rearing leave; an extensive network of state-sponsored child-care institutions – nurseries, kindergartens, day-care centres in schools; subsidies for young couples (in some of these countries contingent on having children); family allowances; and heavily subsidized prices of children's clothing, school books, toys and sports equipment.

High birth rates continuing over many years in Central and Eastern European countries and in the Soviet Union have in consequence resulted in rapidly growing productive-age populations.