نوع مقاله : پژوهشی
عنوان مقاله English
نویسندگان English
Sustained below-replacement fertility is a major demographic challenge in Iran, prompting pro-natalist population policies since the 2010s. To implement these policies, the parliament passed the "Rejuvenation of the Population and Support of the Family" Law in November 2021. However, the effectiveness of fertility promotion policies depends not only on legal design but also on their implementation feasibility, financial sustainability, and social acceptability. This study employed a two-round Delphi method involving 25 experts in demography, economics, public policy, sociology, health, and management to evaluate these policy interventions. The policies were assessed based on six criteria: importance, applicability, feasibility, affordability, public acceptability, and policymakers’ acceptability. The findings showed that welfare and supportive policies aimed at reducing the direct costs of childbearing, including coverage of infertility treatment and prenatal care expenses, paid maternity leave, and educational and supportive services, ranked highest in importance and acceptability. In contrast, symbolic incentives and restrictive policies achieved lower levels of consensus regarding their effectiveness. The results also revealed a significant gap between socially preferred policies and those considered financially and politically feasible. Overall, the findings highlight the need to focus on structured and sustainable welfare policies as a more effective approach to supporting fertility recovery.
کلیدواژهها English