Eli5: Why do some countries have high fertility rates and others low? (In 2024)
In: Biology
In broad, terms, the more commonly cited factors:-
1) Urban vs rural population. Urban lifestyle is typically less accommodating of children so large urban population percentage typically leads to lower fertility.
2) Education (especially women). Better education especially higher education typically means delayed marriage due to education and early career pursuit. Among women, higher education can contribute to better birth and fertility control.
3) Better healthcare. People expect to live longer and no longer feel they need to have many children.
4) Social factors and welfare. If there is an expectation that the elderly will need to be cared for by children, then the increased dependency costs might reduce incentive to have children.
5) General cost of living. A very often cited issue for young adults is the high cost of rent/homes, high cost of raising children.
6) Workplace or working culture. Another often cited issue is that young people are finding it harder to start careers. Newly developed or developing economies, industrialize and commercialize quickly. Workers are spending a lot of time at work and increased female workforce participation.
7) Modern lifestyle/attitudes. Highly religious/traditional societies tend to favor more children.
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