The French government presented a fresh programme on reproductive health. The plan to combat infertility in France was officially presented on 5 February 2026 by the Minister of wellness Stephanie Rist. It was announced earlier by the president Emmanuel Macron.
One of the key elements of the programme is to send an information message to all citizens aged 29. The message is intended to remind about the biological decline in fertility with age and to present available diagnostic and treatment options. The plan to combat infertility in France is educational and, as the government emphasizes, is not designed to exert force on children's decisions.
The impulse to act is simply a sustained decline in fertility. In 2024, the fertility rate was 1,62 children per woman, and in 2025 it fell to 1,56. These are the lowest levels since the end of planet War II. Births fell to about 663 1000 in 2024 and about 645 1000 in 2025. This decline continues despite the affirmative migration balance.
The plan to combat infertility in France assumes a broad information run to launch in late 2026. A peculiar web portal on fertility and infertility will besides be created. Authorities indicate that the problem may affect more than 3 million people in the country.
An crucial component of the programme is to increase the availability for the freezing of ova. This procedure was allowed by the bioethical law of 2021, but in practice the number of centres is limited and the waiting time is long. By 2028, respective twelve fresh facilities are planned to execute specified treatments. The inclusion of private entities is besides considered, while maintaining the free nature of benefits.
The plan to fight infertility in France besides includes improving the diagnosis and treatment of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), which is 1 of the more frequent causes of fertility disorders in women. Actions on endometriosis, for which a separate public programme already exists, will besides continue.
The program will be coordinated by prof. Samir Hamamah and Salomé Berlioux, co-authors of the 2022 report, which became the basis for the current activities. The government stresses that the plan to combat infertility in France focuses on public wellness and access to information, not on direct influence on demographic policy.
Data show that even in countries with a affirmative migration balance, the decline in fertility is simply a lasting phenomenon. In many OECD countries, too, fertility rates stay below the substitutability level among women born abroad. France, which has been among the leaders over the years in terms of birth rates in Western Europe, is now facing the trend observed in most developed economies.
The authorities announce that the implementation of the programme will be monitored and subsequent actions will be adapted to the results of the analyses and needs of the wellness system.
