Policy Analysis of the Link Between Economic Insecurity and Declining Childbirth in Iranabstract
Abstract:
The decline in the fertility rate in Iran has become one of the most important challenges for population governance and public policymaking in the last two decades. While a significant part of the country's population policies have focused on short-term financial incentives and sectoral interventions, empirical evidence shows that economic insecurity plays a decisive role in families' fertility decisions. The aim of this article is to conduct a policy analysis of the link between economic insecurity and declining fertility in Iran, emphasizing the requirements of population-based governance. This research aims to analyze the link between economic insecurity and declining fertility in Iran and with a population governance approach. The present study was conducted using documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews with 15 academic and executive elites in the field of population policymaking and family economics. The data were examined using content analysis and a policy-based approach, and a policy analytical framework was presented to explain the mechanism of the impact of economic insecurity on childbearing decisions. Findings from the analysis of interview data with fifteen academic and executive elites in the field of population and social welfare policymaking showed that economic insecurity and income instability, the pressure of childbearing costs, the weakness of support and welfare policies, and household perception as a mediating variable, form the four main axes of influence on the reduction of childbearing in Iran. The findings indicate the need to reform economic policies and strengthen the family-centered support system within the framework of population governance.