• Vienna Institute of Demography (Ed.) - Éva Beaujouan - Marie-Caroline Compans - Alice Goisis - Jasmin Passet-Wittig (Guest Eds.)

Vienna Yearbook of Population Research 2026

Special issue: Delayed reproduction

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The Vienna Yearbook of Population Research is an open access journal that features contributions addressing population trends as well as a broad range of theoretical and methodological issues in population research. Besides Research articles and Review articles, the journal includes Data and Trends contributions, which analyse changes in population dynamics or present databases and data infrastructure. It also features Perspectives articles, which focus on ideas, concepts or theories, as well as invited Debates reflecting on selected questions and issues. Since 2008, the volumes have been devoted to selected themes following special calls for thematic issues.

The 2026 volume of the Vienna Yearbook of Population Research brings together a diverse set of contributions examining delayed reproduction as a defining feature of contemporary demographic change. The papers explore how later transitions to parenthood reshape reproductive trajectories, fertility intentions and birth outcomes for individuals and societies. Particular emphasis is placed on heterogeneities and inequalities by educational background, migration status, and place of residence. Using both quantitative and qualitative approaches and drawing on data from Europe, the Americas, and Asia, the issue highlights that delayed reproduction is a lasting trend with significant consequences for future fertility and societies more broadly.
Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften
Austrian Academy of Sciences Press
A-1011 Wien, Dr. Ignaz Seipel-Platz 2
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Vienna Yearbook of Population Research 2026
ISSN 1728-4414
Print Edition
ISSN 1728-5305
Online Edition
ISBN 978-3-7001-5156-2
Print Edition
ISBN 978-3-7001-5157-9
Online Edition



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Austrian Academy of Sciences Press
A-1011 Wien, Dr. Ignaz Seipel-Platz 2,
Tel. +43-1-515 81/DW 3420, Fax +43-1-515 81/DW 3400
https://verlag.oeaw.ac.at, e-mail: bestellung.verlag@oeaw.ac.at
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Medically assisted reproduction cannot fully counteract the social- and age-related challenges of reproduction

    Lone Schmidt

Vienna Yearbook of Population Research 2026, pp. , 2026/04/22

Special issue: Delayed reproduction

doi: 10.1553/p-d8j4-hjae


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doi:10.1553/p-d8j4-hjae


Abstract

In the Declaration of Human Rights, the right of all adult women and men to found a family is stated. Globally, most adults want to have two to three children. Infertility is one of the most frequent chronic diseases among reproductive-aged women and men, and infertility contributes to involuntary childlessness and to many people having fewer children than they want. This is seen by the United Nations Population Fund as a crisis of reproductive agency. While medically assisted reproduction (MAR) is effective for many people, its success rates are much lower with advanced age. There are substantial barriers to accessing fertility service, such as the lack of recognition of infertility as a disease, low coverage of fertility treatment costs and the lack of availability of fertility care for nontraditional families. Studies, including from countries where people have access to MAR in the public health care sector with no patient payments, show that there are social and ethnic inequalities in the uptake of MAR, as well as social inequalities in live birth rates after MAR. There is a need for universal and equal access to MAR treatments for all people who could benefit from them, including people with infertility, single women and same-sex couples. Furthermore, there is a need to increase young adults’ fertility knowledge to help ensure that they are making well-informed decisions regarding their family building goals.

Keywords: Age-related fecundity; Ethnic inequality; Fertility knowledge; Medically assisted reproduction; Reproductive agency; Social inequality

Published Online: 2026/04/22

Object Identifier: 0xc1aa5572 0x0041819e

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Metrics: https://plu.mx/plum/a/?doi=10.1553/p-d8j4-hjae

Rights: © The Author(s), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 2026. This article/book is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) that allows the sharing, use and adaptation in any medium, provided that the user gives appropriate credit, provides a link to the license, and indicates if changes were made.