Declining fertility rate causes concern in UAE

Gulf News

30-01-2025

Abu Dhabi: A study presented by members of the Federal National Council (FNC) during the last two sessions has revealed that the UAE faces a significant challenge: A declining birth rate and a drop in fertility among Emiratis.
The study, based on reports from the World Health Organisation (WHO) on global fertility and birth rates, said the decline in fertility rates poses a challenge to national development goals, which requires population growth to sustain economic expansion.
The study titled 'The Epidemiological Decline in Human Fertility Rates in the Arab World' was conducted by researchers from the University of Sharjah in 2024. They analysed fertility trends across Arab nations over a decade (2011–2021) using World Bank data. The study found that the UAE has the lowest fertility rates among Arab countries, ranging between 1.7 and 1.5 children per woman.
In 2012, the UAE's fertility rate stood at 5.4 per cent, but by 2022, it had plummeted to 1.49 per cent.
This dramatic decline underscores the urgency of addressing fertility challenges to ensure the country's demographic and economic stability.
FNC members announced that the Health and Environmental Affairs Committee has begun discussing government policies to enhance fertility rates in the country. Studies indicate that the decline in birth rates is due to economic, cultural and social factors, including delayed marriages, leading to a shrinking Emirati extended family structure.
Recent statistics published on the UAE.STAT platform, operated by the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority, the first global data network in the Middle East and North Africa for official statistics, highlight the risk of 'population ageing' due to delayed childbearing. The total fertility rate for Emiratis (children per woman) declined from 3.7 in 2015-2017 to 3.6 in 2018, 3.3 in 2019, 3.2 in 2020 and 2021 and 3.1 in 2022.
During the FNC session, participants in a virtual discussion organised by the Health and Environmental Affairs Committee emphasised the urgent need to implement six key recommendations to boost birth rates among Emirati families:
1. Increase marriage grant amounts
2. Ease eligibility criteria for marriage and housing grants
3. Review media content promoting individualism
4. Provide affordable loans
5. Revive the concept of the extended family
6. Develop digital applications to support families
Participants warned that Emirati families are shrinking, with a sharp decline in household sizes. They urged the government to take immediate action to enhance birth rates among Emiratis. The committee called for an increase in marriage grants for citizens, the removal of restrictive conditions for marriage and housing grants to expedite support for eligible groups, and a review of TV and film content that discourages family formation.
Immediate solutions proposed included requiring banks to offer affordable loans to newlyweds and modifying repayment terms for retirees. The committee also recommended reviving the extended family culture to support child-rearing and launching digital applications to provide family counseling and conflict resolution services.
The discussion focused on four key areas:
1. Social challenges faced by those planning to marry
2. Reasons families are limiting the number of children to three or four
3. Practical solutions to encourage continued childbearing
4. The role of social media in shaping societal attitudes that prioritize individual achievements over family life
The committee aims to submit recommendations to relevant authorities for thorough review and parliamentary approval.
Challenges to marriage and family growth
The committee identified several key challenges:
• Fear of marriage due to its responsibilities
• Negative portrayal of family life in commercial TV shows and films
• High cost of weddings, leading to increased debt and financial instability
• Rising divorce rates within the first few years of marriage
• Lack of research on challenges faced by young people
Participants stressed the importance of promoting traditional Emirati family values and discouraging content that encourages divorce or depicts family life negatively. They also called for initiatives to support marriage and raise awareness about the benefits of forming a stable family. They suggested integrating marriage and family responsibility education into school curricula from middle to high school. Delayed marriage reduces fertility potential
Dr. Adel Saeed Sajwani, a consultant in family medicine, explained that delaying marriage has medical implications for both men and women. Fertility declines with age, especially in women, as ovarian activity decreases, increasing the risk of infertility-related conditions and menopause.
Dr. Sajwani highlighted that women's egg reserves diminish significantly after age 35, making natural conception more difficult, though not impossible. This has led to a rise in assisted reproductive techniques, such as IVF. Women over 35 are also advised to consider egg freezing to preserve fertility for future pregnancies.
For men, postponing marriage can also affect fertility due to lifestyle factors such as poor diet, lack of exercise, prolonged office work, and increased risks of obesity, diabetes, cholesterol issues, and cardiovascular diseases—all of which can impair male fertility. Late marriage not only has social implications but also reduces reproductive potential due to age-related health conditions and undiagnosed infertility issues.
Dr. Sajwani pointed out the psychological toll of delaying marriage and childbearing. Humans naturally seek stability, and remaining unmarried for too long can lead to emotional distress, including depression, anxiety, and social isolation. Seeing friends and relatives start families while remaining single can exacerbate feelings of loneliness and regret.
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