Upcoming paper

Ivett Szalma – Judit Takács:

 

How did the COVID-19 pandemic change fertility plans in Hungary? (Szociológiai Szemle)

 

Abstract

 

In this research our aim was to answer the question how the COVID-19 pandemic affected childbearing plans in Hungary. Previous research has highlighted that macro factors such as the political system change of 1989-1990 or the 2008 economic crisis had effects on childbearing in Hungary: both events reduced fertility rates. Our hypothesis is that the COVID-19 pandemic had negative effects on childbearing plans of many women and men as they may pause or altogether cancel their pregnancy plans.

We collected qualitative interviews as well as quantitative survey data to examine this phenomenon. In the fall of 2020 we conducted semi-structured interviews with forty men and women aged 18-45 having no children or just one child. At the same period, a survey was conducted by the Sociology Institute of the Centre of Social Sciences, in which we asked a question about childbearing plans.

The results show that about 12% of respondents reported that their fertility plans had changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the interviews, one of the main reasons behind these changes was related to the low level of pandemic preparedness of the Hungarian healthcare system.