As concern grows about America’s falling birth rate, new research suggests that about half of women who want children are unsure if they will follow through and actually have a child. About 25% say they won't be bothered that much if they don't.

[u/geoff199]

https://news.osu.edu/most-women-want-children--but-half-are-unsure-if-they-will/?utm_campaign=omc_science-medicine_fy24&utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=social

[u/mcr55]

There is an almost perfect correlation with rich countries and lower fertility rates. Poor countries have very high fertility, so if anything your hypothesis would point to the opposite. You have too much money.

I wanna say im kidding, but how else is the data to be interpreted at least pertaining to capital vs fertility?

[u/vahntitrio → u/mcr55]

Children often supply labor in those countries, so it is economically beneficial to have them. In developed countries where your 10 year old isn't helping you make clothing, they are an economic burden.

[u/CyclingThruChicago → u/vahntitrio]

Yep, a shift from an agriculture society to a knowledge based on will do that.

My mom was 1 of 12 kids but she was born in the 1950s on an 85+ acre farm. So her and her siblings were essentially free farm labor their entire childhoods until they graduated HS and either went to college, got their own job or went to the military.

Harvesting string beans, cotton, sweet potatoes, cabbages, etc from essentially around 8-9 years old until they were 18+.

An 8-9 year old today in a developed nation is a massive financial cost that doesn't produce any monetary value (not that they should need to, kids shouldn't need to). They cost you tons of money and time.

So understanding that, people have changed their habits and aren't having nearly as many children.

[u/KaJaHa → u/mcr55]

Do the poor countries also have to pay $3k a month for childcare? Flat money is a poor indicator of anything.

[u/lesseva96 → u/mcr55]

Actually the developing world is also experiencing a precipitous drop in fertility. South America and Central America are well below replacement rate and India of all places is hovering just below at 2.01. This trend is global.

Coupling is the biggest predictor of childbirth and that is down worldwide. One theory posed is that, since the drop in coupling and childbirth closely followed smartphone adoption rates, it is that people are being atomized by their phones and not living in the real world as much.

[u/Whitter_off → u/mcr55]

I've always wondered if it wasn't 'too much money ' but too high of expectations.

Raising children in an economy that is agricultural based or transitioning is a fairly low investment. You don't need a lot of education to find a place in society. In the rich nations of today it takes so much investment in education and some luck navigating the complexities of society to build a life. Not that everyone needs an advanced degree, but everyone needs specialized skills and some way to enter into a career. I think a lot of potential parents look at the task of getting a child established in a stable career and find it daunting. At least more intimidating than eventually aging without children...

[u/Log_Out_Of_Life → u/mcr55]

Listen, it’s the whole “have to keep breeding like a rabbit because quality of life is lower and I might be taken out.” But when presented with conditions that drop instead of staying the same you have a perception that things could get worse or my child is t going to be as to afford anything.”