Archbishop Charles Scicluna used his Republic Day homily to highlight Malta's declining birth rate, describing it as a national concern with deep societal implications. He emphasised that this trend poses risks to Malta's future, including its social and economic sustainability, and called for robust pro-family policies to address the issue.
His remarks come as Malta continues to grapple with one of the lowest fertility rates in Europe. The country's demographic trajectory mirrors a wider trend across Southern Europe, with nations like Italy and Spain also experiencing steep declines in birth rates over the past few decades.
While Archbishop Scicluna's homily touched on Maltese identity, a subject I will here set aside - despite my personal interest in it rooted in my Slavic Visanich ancestry that has now spanned over six generations on this island - because my primary sociological focus lies on Malta's urgent fertility challenges.
The decline of religious influence
A significant factor contributing to the fertility decline in Malta is the reduced role of Catholic religiosity. The Catholic Church, once a key moral guide for family formation and social norms, has seen its influence diminish in recent decades. In countries like Malta and other Southern European nations, the Church historically shaped attitudes toward family size. These regions boasted some of Europe's highest fertility rates, supported by strong cultural and religious traditions.
However, over the span of just one generation, this pattern has reversed. Today, fertility rates in countries like Malta (1.08), Spain (1.16), and Italy (1.24) are well below the EU average of 1.46 (Eurostat, 2022). As secular views have gained prominence, traditional religious frameworks that once encouraged large families have faded.
Changing lives, changing choices
This demographic shift is also linked to changing gender roles and evolving life choices, particularly for women. It is essential to acknowledge the profound economic and cultural shifts over the last fifty years that have significantly influenced life trajectories and expanded individual choices. These changes have been driven by various factors, including the widespread availability of higher education, increased labour market participation for women, advances in technology, and evolving societal attitudes toward gender roles and family structures. These developments have redefined traditional pathways, offering greater autonomy and opportunities but also introducing complexities in balancing personal ambitions with societal expectations.
As women assert their independence, they are increasingly viewing parenthood as a deliberate choice rather than a societal expectation. Cultural norms now frame parenting as a high-stakes endeavour, requiring significant investments of time, energy, and money. Intensive parenting, which emphasises active involvement in every aspect of children's lives - such as their education, extracurricular pursuits, and personal development - has become increasingly demanding. This shift places substantial strain on parents, who must juggle these responsibilities with other life demands.
Financial pressures
The financial realities today further complicate family decisions. Housing costs, educational expenses, and the need to support children's extracurricular activities create substantial financial barriers for many families. As these costs increase, many couples opt for smaller families or delay childbearing altogether. This economic pressure, combined with cultural expectations, brings forward the need for policy interventions that go beyond financial incentives to address the underlying systemic issues - such as affordable housing, extended parental leave and flexible work policies.
The recent proposal of paying women to stay at home to care for their children carries the risk of reinforcing gender-imbalanced caregiving, which can have long-term implications for women's careers. Women who disproportionately shoulder childcare responsibilities are more likely to engage in part-time work, face career interruptions, and encounter wage disparities compared to men.
What's at stake
The implications of this fertility decline are far-reaching. As populations age, governments face increasing pressure on pension systems, healthcare infrastructure, and workforce sustainability. In Malta, experts warn that the strain could soon become untenable without significant policy shifts.
To address this imbalance, equal parental leave policies should be prioritised, particularly those that offer incentives to fathers to actively participate in child-rearing. A promising approach involves the implementation of non-transferable parental leave quotas for fathers, which mandate their involvement in caregiving. Such policies have proven effective in promoting gender equality in Nordic countries, where fathers' engagement in early child-rearing has led to more equitable sharing of domestic responsibilities and improved outcomes for families overall. Adopting similar measures can help mitigate the career consequences associated with motherhood, fostering a more balanced distribution of caregiving roles and empowering both parents to contribute equally at home and in the workplace.
Malta's declining birth rate reflects profound social, economic, and cultural changes. Addressing this crisis requires more than just incentivizing childbirth with grants and subsidies. It necessitates a deeper examination of the values and societal narratives that shape family decisions. It's crucial to recognize the intersection of financial pressures, evolving gender roles, and cultural expectations in the broader context of fertility trends.
The decline in fertility rates in Malta is more than just a demographic issue - it is a complex challenge with far-reaching consequences for the country's future. An aging population puts additional strain on healthcare systems, pension plans, and social services. Without policy changes to address these pressures, the strain on Malta's infrastructure could soon become unsustainable.
Prof. Valerie Visanich Associate Professor in Sociology