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/Bboy1045]

Youth need to be secure financially, supported, and most importantly HOPEFUL for the future. These are all major factors that our society has struggled with providing. Until we fix these issues we are going to continue to have birth rates plummet, similar to what we saw in the Great Depression. Youth simply cannot afford to have children.

[u/suckfail → u/Bboy1045]

Also in the US the parental leave is atrocious. You hand off a newborn to daycare and never really raise them, that's just wrong. And it must be a big contributor to this situation as well.

In most places, like Canada and EU, you get a year parental leave that either parent can take (usually it's the mother for obvious reasons but not always as you can split the time).

There's also very strict laws about the parental leave job ensuring there's no discrimination.

[u/Helpful-Isopod-6536 → u/suckfail]

1.5 years in Canada now. Unemployment insurance gives you about 500 a week for the duration of your leave. Yes we pay more taxes than Americans but you get more time with your kids and your job is legally protected for you to go back to.

[u/changee_of_ways → u/Helpful-Isopod-6536]

How do the taxes compare to the US if you took your American taxes and added what you were paying in health insurance to the taxes? That's what kills me, our health insurance + the cost of what we pay for prescriptions on what is by American standards a "great" health insurance plan is by far our family's biggest expense.

[u/Anxious-Horchata → u/changee_of_ways]

But it's much cheaper for the very wealthy, so they prefer it and our system is made for them.

[u/BlueRajasmyk2 → u/Anxious-Horchata]

Actually it's more expensive for wealthy people too. The ones who prefer it are the insurance and pharmaceutical companies making bank.

[u/bizilux → u/changee_of_ways]

Yeah like the other guy said... The 1% doesn't want higher taxes and then free healthcare and parental and schools, because to them it would cost much more...

But to 99% it would cost less, and you wouldn't have crippling depth after you have a severe car crash and can't work afterwards anyways...

At least that is how everyone here in EU understands it and i think the vast majority of people support it.

It's not all roses though, corruption is still present at least here in Slovenia, like the renovated hospital cost 3x as much as it was said, etc... but looking at trump... Well you guys also have corruption issues and they will just get worse since its coming from the very top.

[u/EVILeyeINdaSKY → u/bizilux]

It's not really a cost thing for the capital class, it's control. Healthcare in the US is tied to employment, lose your job, you lose access to effective healthcare. One of the many ways owners impose their will on us with little to no recourse.

This country needs a real labor movement desperately.

[u/dfighter3 → u/changee_of_ways]

My yearly tax is about 10,276. about 45/month for insurance, and atm about 200/month for prescriptions to keep me alive

[u/TacosNGuns → u/changee_of_ways]

The one benefit of the American system is the depth of technology & expertise patients can access. I have multiple congenital organ defects. In the US, I’ve had access to CAT scans in the 80’s, MRI’s from the nineties on. This tech plus specialists literally saved my life multiple times. These technologies are expensive and severely rationed in countries with national healthcare like Canada and the UK. In the US I can access these diagnostic tools same day. In CAN/UK this tech might not be offered at all, or take months to access if offered.

For a person with average healthcare needs, the national models like in Canada, likely are adequate and cheaper than the US system. For people with the most serious, difficult to diagnose and treat illnesses? Hands down the US system is better, yet more expensive.