Covid-19 could generate a baby ‘bust’ in the Nordic countries

Previous epidemics have been associated with a fall in births. Trude Lappegard, Axel Peter Kristensen and Svenn-Erik Mamelund assess what the Covid-19 pandemic could mean for birth rates in the Nordic countries, which were already declining prior to the virus. They argue that financial insecurity generated by the outbreak could encourage young adults to put off starting a family, producing a baby ‘bust’.