Young Women in Romania During the COVID-19 Pandemic – Demographic Perspectives at Regional Level

The COVID-19 pandemic changed many aspects of everyday life, including decisions about starting a family. Using data from 2020–2022 retrieved from the National Institute of Statistics in Romania, this paper explores aspects of fertility patterns and the role of fathers’ age relative to mothers. The analysis shows a decrease in the usually resident female population in most regions, except for the Bucharest-Ilfov region, while fathers are often in another age category than mothers, particularly when mothers were between 15 and 19 years old. A negative relationship between fertility and age-disparate fathers is observed in this youngest group. The findings highlight the social and economic challenges young families face and point to the need for policies that support childbearing and family life, including accessible childcare, housing support, and measures that reduce the burden of raising children, helping to address Romania’s demographic decline.