IntroductionFertility rates refer to the number of children a woman can give birth to if she were to live to the end of her childbearing years according to prevailing fertility rates specific to age. Gray, Qu, and Weston (2008) argue that governments exert influential power over fertility rates through their policy formulations aimed at influencing their country's demographics. For example, governments in countries with declining fertility rates have been involved in engineering programs such as providing financial incentives, aimed at enticing couples to have more children. Such incentives include monetary subsidies, differential taxation, and the provision of free child-rearing services. Governments have mandated private sector employers to provide paid parental leave to couples giving birth to children. May (2012) argues that fertility rates are an important factor influencing future demographic trends in most countries. This is because fertility rates influence the age structure, dependency ratios and size of a country's workforce. The essay provides an overview of fertility trends in America, Australia and Sweden. It highlights some of the reasons contributing to declining fertility rates in the three countries. It identifies the effects that declining fertility rates have had in the three countries and finally outlines the various ways in which government influences fertility rates in various countries. An overview of fertility trends in America, Australia and Sweden According to Glowaki and Richmond (2007) , developed countries have continued to experience declining fertility rates across the world. Mather (2012) highlights...... half of the paper ......es in Developed Countries. Geographer of the Middle States, vol. 40, pp. 32-38. Gray, M, Qu, L & Weston, R 2008. Fertility and family policy in Australia. Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies.Mather, M 2012. Factsheet: The decline of fertility in the United States. World Population Data Sheet 2012. Population Reference Bureau. Viewed June 7, 2014. May, J 2012. World population policies: their origin, evolution, and impact. Dordrecht New York: Springer.Ruzicka, L & Caldwell, J 1982. Fertility: Country Monograph Series no. 9, Population of Australia, vol. 1. New York: Economic and Social Commission for Australia and the Pacific. Sundström, K 2001. Can governments influence population growth? Division of International Health, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm and Q Web.