For the most part, European countries saw a decline in birth rates below 3 children per woman many decades ago. In Eastern Europe, France, Italy, and various other nations, this drop occurred as early as the 1940s. Germany and Northern European countries experienced this even earlier, with Poland and some Balkan countries following suit in the 1950s.

The trend continued into the 1980s and beyond, with countries like Ireland (the only non-Muslim nation in the group), Albania, Kosovo, Turkey, and Azerbaijan witnessing their birth rates fall below the 3 children per woman threshold during this period.