Poland's women least fecund in the EU

There are only 1.24 children per family on average in Poland, while to ensure the replacement of generations the ratio should stand at no less than 2.1."Women bear children if they are convinced that they can properly raise their children and this will not interfere with their work. Currently plenty of women fear that once they bear a child they will either not be employed again or they will lose their job," said Wanda Nowicka of the Federation for Women and Family Planning (FnrKiPR). Other countries with low birth rates are Slovakia (1.25 children), Slovenia (1.26) and Lithuania (1.27). The highest number of births is observed in France, where the ratio stands at 1.92 per family on average. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B3) M.M.