The policy was introduced after private clinics began offering cryopreservation services to troops in 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Lawmakers later stepped in to regulate the process and provide state funding.

At the state-run Centre for Reproductive Medicine in Kyiv, officials say a small number of troops have already enrolled, with more expected as awareness grows.

Maxim, a 35-year-old member of Ukraine’s National Guard stationed near the eastern frontline, recently froze a sperm sample during leave in Kyiv. He said he wants more servicemen to consider fertility preservation.

“Our men are dying. The Ukrainian gene pool is dying. This is about the survival of our nation,” he said in a phone interview .

Doctors say the programme also responds to broader demographic concerns. Ukraine faced falling birth rates even before the war, and losses among young men in combat, along with millions of refugees leaving the country, have deepened worries about population decline.

The policy initially drew criticism after early rules required samples to be destroyed if a donor died. The law has since been amended to allow partners to use preserved material for up to three years after death, provided consent was given.

For many soldiers, the option offers reassurance amid constant danger on the frontline. Officials say the programme is meant to support military families while addressing the long-term human cost of a war that has reshaped Ukrainian society .

The 2025 State of World Population (SWOP) Report, launched this week by UNFPA, the Zimbabwean government, and partners, revealed, amongst others, that across the world, millions of people are having fewer children than they desire. Economic challenges, healthcare costs, job insecurity, and difficulty finding suitable partners are the leading obstacles.

According to the latest 2023-24 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey, the country’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) stands at 3.9 children per woman, down from 4.3 in 1994. However, a closer look reveals an urban-rural divide; urban women average 3.1 children, while their rural counterparts average 4.6 children. Women in cities also tend to delay childbirth, starting their families at around 21.1 years compared to 19.4 years in rural areas.

For urban Zimbabwean families, the high cost of living, coupled with the rising expense of childcare, education, and healthcare, plays a significant role in limiting family size. “Even if women, especially those in the workforce, desire more children, balancing childcare with career growth is a huge challenge,” the report notes. The pressure to maintain full-time employment while managing domestic responsibilities often forces families to opt for smaller households.

UNFPA’s findings show that globally, women still perform three to ten times more unpaid domestic and caregiving work than men. This imbalance is shown in Zimbabwe, where urban women often shoulder the dual burden of professional work and household management, making larger families less feasible.

Women from the highest wealth quintile have an average of 2.6 children , while those from the lowest quintile average 5.5 children. Additionally, wealthier women tend to have their first child at 21.9 years, three years later than women from lower-income backgrounds.

Jo Abbot, UK Development Director and Deputy Head of Mission, emphasised that these trends pose not just personal but developmental challenges. “This report is a wake-up call. When people are unable to have the families they want due to economic or social barriers, it’s not just a personal loss, it’s a development challenge,” she said .

Titled “ The Real Fertility Crisis : The Pursuit of Reproductive Agency in a Changing World,” the report is based on a UNFPA/YouGov survey in 14 countries, including Morocco. It found that one in three Moroccans have not had the number of children they desire, with nearly half of them citing financial reasons as the main obstacle, Le Matin reports.

“It is not the desire to have children that is lacking, but rather an abdication in the face of increasingly hostile conditions,” the report states.

Marielle Sander, UNFPA’s representative in Morocco, stressed that the declining fertility rate is “not just about the number of children I will have, but the world in which they will live,” quoting a young Moroccan interviewed during consultations.

Sander urged policymakers to look beyond statistics and address the root causes that obstruct people’s reproductive choices. She noted the importance of this year’s observance, which also marks 50 years of partnership between UNFPA and Morocco during a time of “profound demographic transformations.”

She further argued that “Morocco still has the opportunity to benefit from its demographic dividend, provided it invests in the key levers: education, particularly for girls, access to employment for women; and sexual and reproductive health for young people.”

Sander also highlighted the unequal distribution of caregiving responsibilities, which continue to fall disproportionately on women. “Parenthood must become a shared choice, not a female burden.” She advocated for stronger policies supporting family life, more recognition for the care economy, and private sector participation in creating work-life balance.

Asher Proeger, a contender in the race, told the AFP, "It's a 100 percent serious, despite the name, despite some of the costs and people are going to wear. At the end of the day, that's all to raise awareness with 100 percent seriousness of racing sperm and how it truly is the best biomarker. You can truly tell who's living the best lifestyle by their sperm and how fast it is."

While some attendees questioned the race’s authenticity, many agreed it delivered strong entertainment value and sparked important conversations about men's reproductive health.

"For sperm, in the last 50 years, it's decreased by half, but the problem is it's still decreasing because no one's able to talk about it because it's a topic that everyone avoids," the event organiser, Eric Zhu said.

The app currently under development and scheduled for release in late 2024 will include a website offering love advice and general information for singles and would reportedly require documentation proving they are legally single and a signed letter stating their readiness to get married.

While the app represents a modern approach to an age-old tradition, it also signifies a cultural shift. Many young adults in Japan, like their counterparts around the world, are less interested in traditional marriage or having children.

The government hopes providing a platform that facilitates meeting potential partners can encourage more people to consider marriage and family life.

Fertility challenges

Japan's marriage rate has plummeted to an all-time low, with the country's Health Ministry reporting a decrease from 504,930 marriages in 2022 to 474,717 in 2023. The number of births followed suit, falling from 770,759 to 727,277 over the same period.

As the nation with the world's oldest population, second only to Monaco, this trend poses significant challenges to Japan's social, economic, and political landscape.

The Associated Press has highlighted that the prevalent long working hours, a societal norm of minimal social interaction post-work, and the substantial financial demands of raising a child are major factors discouraging marriage and family expansion in Japan.

Projections indicate that Japan's population, which reached its zenith at 128 million in 2017, is expected to decline to under 53 million by the century's close.

Solutions over the years

In 2021, the Japanese government invested $19 million in local authorities who were running or starting projects that use AI to pair people up to boost the birth rate.

"We are especially planning to offer subsidies to local governments operating or starting up matchmaking projects that use AI," a cabinet official told AFP. "We hope this support will help reverse the decline in the nation's birthrate."