Falling total fertility rate should be welcomed, population expert says

Figures showing declining birth rates are 'cause for celebration', not alarm

Declining fertility rates around the world should be cause for celebration, not alarm, a leading expert has said, warning that the focus on boosting populations was outdated and potentially bad for women.

Recent figures revealed that, globally, women now have on average 2.4 children in their lifetime a measure known as total fertility rate (TFR). But while in some countries that figure is far higher - in Niger it is more than seven - in almost half of countries, including the UK, Russia and Japan, it has fallen to below two.