Manny Ita –
- The French government has announced plans to send letters to all 29-year-olds in the country encouraging them to consider having children before it is “too late,” as part of a broader strategy to address a sustained decline in the national birth rate. The initiative, confirmed by the health ministry, will see hundreds of thousands of young adults receive what officials described as “targeted, balanced and scientifically based information on sexual and reproductive health.”
According to the ministry, the objective of the letter is to raise awareness about fertility and reproductive timelines in order to “avoid the ‘if only I had known’ mentality.” The measure forms part of a 16-point action plan introduced by the government to confront demographic challenges linked to fewer births and an ageing population, a trend that has raised long-term concerns about economic sustainability and social welfare systems.
Officials said infertility is a key factor behind the policy, noting that it affects one in eight couples in France. The letter will address fertility issues affecting both women and men, explicitly acknowledging that “the biological clocks are not the same but men have one too,” in an effort to counter the widespread perception that fertility decline concerns only women.
The age of 29 was deliberately chosen, the ministry explained, because it is the point at which women in France can have their eggs frozen without requiring a medical certificate. The correspondence will also remind recipients that the French social security system covers the cost of egg freezing for women between the ages of 29 and 37, a benefit introduced to expand reproductive options and preserve fertility.
Despite the government’s stated intentions, the proposal has attracted criticism from some commentators and advocacy groups, who argue that informational letters alone are unlikely to reverse declining birth rates. Critics say broader structural issues such as housing costs, job insecurity, childcare availability and work-life balance play a more decisive role in family planning decisions than biological awareness campaigns.
The government has defended the initiative as an educational rather than coercive measure, insisting it is designed to provide information, not pressure. Officials maintain that better awareness of fertility and reproductive health will help individuals make informed choices about if and when to have children, while complementing other policy tools aimed at supporting families and boosting birth rates in the long term.
