Until the end of 1980s Slovakia belonged to countries with the highest fertility in Europe. The distinct orientation of a big part of population to a family was not only a consequence of a shift towards traditional values but also the reaction to the social relations of those days. If we add to it the social and housing policy, which were focused on the support of the family with children and a less extensive contraception, we shall get the complex picture on the background of the high fertility in Slovakia during 1960s and 1970s. In addition to the high level of fertility, its structure was also remarkable. The majority of fertility was concentrated to the beginning of the reproductive age of women.
In the beginning of the ninetieth, the fertility reacted very fast and sharply to the changed social situation. The decrease in fertility as well as the number of births was the deepest during 1993-1995. For two years, a decrease in fertility by 21.2 % was recorded while, for instance, for the entire 1980s, the fertility decreased "only" by 10 %. After 1995, the decrease in fertility slowed down. Historically the lowest number of live-births was recorded in 2002. During 1996-2002, total fertility decreased by further 19 % down to the level of 1.19. The result of such development is the decrease in the number of live births despite the high share of women at the age of the highest fertility. Fertility has begun to rise again since 2003, after more than 20-years of decrease. Despite it, Slovakia currently ranks among countries with the lowest fertility in Europe.
The significant decrease in fertility was recorded to all relevant age groups from 18 up to 30 years. Due to the fact that the decrease in fertility was the highest at the lower age groups, the age of the highest fertility has shifted towards the older age. While in the 90s, the highest number of children was born to women aged 22, currently the maximum of fertility moved to the age of 27. The postponement of births to the older age became evident by increasing fertility of women aged 30 and over and also by increasing of the mean age at birth. Current mean age at birth is 27.2 years. In comparison with the beginning of 70s it has increased by 1.6 years. The mean age at first births has increased even more remarkably by 3 years up to 25.26 years. Since 2000 the highest age -specific fertility rate of women is in age group 25-29 years.
The share of children born outside marriage was before 1990 oscillated around the level of 5-6% from the total number of births. A remarkable increase of the number and share of births outside marriage is one of the main characteristic features of the new model of reproduction behavior. In 2004 nearly 25 % of children were born outside marriage, which was three times more than in 1990. Despite the sharp increase of the number of children born outside marriage, the marital fertility remains the decisive fertility component in Slovakia.
In Slovakia during the second half of the 20th century and nowadays too, the model of family with two children has still more and more prevailed, however, families with more children were not an exception. The highest number of children is traditionally born at first order, which currently represents the share of 46.8 %.
