Eli5: Why do some countries have high fertility rates and others low? (In 2024)
In: Biology
In poor, agrarian societies, more children means more hands to work on the farm which is very useful. They also have very little education and access to contraception. There are exceptions e.g Israel which despite being a rich country has a high birth rate due to some highly conservative Jewish communities. In the middle income and rich nations, women are educated and tend to focus on their career, so they get married later. The increased education and access to contraception reduces their fertility rate. Also, feminism and the sexual revolution have changed people’s mindset about abstinence, marriage, families etc. Another factor to consider is affordability/maternal policies. France has good maternal policies hence a decent birth rate. If young people can’t afford rent e.g in Southern Europe, they won’t be able to move out and start a family.
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