WHY is the birth rate so low?

[amy_2]

In almost all OECD countries, the birth rate is well below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman. Why is this hapenning when the standard of living is better than ever?

The reasons given are endless, such as more women entering the workforce, more people in higher education, capitalism and materialism, the "sexual liberation" of women, (The sexual revolution was all about so-called "reproductive rights", but what about the women who would really like to have chidren?).

The European union has a birth rate of 1.5 children per woman

My family and friends think I'm crazy to be thinking of having kids at my age

I am australian born and raised to white parents, originally from England and Germany. Although my parents aren't rich, they invested a lot in my education. I went to an expensive private school. I have also been to university. So I fit the classic mould of a person who would delay having kids, and have fewer overall.

But I don't want to delay having kids - or have any fewer in number - far from it. I plan to have one when I am 23 or 24 and have a total of 3 or 4. Is anyone else is a similar position? And what do people think about the low birth rate?

 

[Widget]

This frustrates me as well. In our case we are pushing off TTC because of debt incurred from education. Since jobs nowadays require such a high educational standard and since tuition is overly inflated, young people start out their new lives in such smothering debt that having children is the last thing on their mind. Then if we wait too long our ability to easily conceive dwindles....

 

[barefoot]

I think it has to do with people in the more "developed" nations understanding how much it costs to have a baby and wanting to give their child the best life possible.
Personally, I am planning on having absolutely no more than 2 children (and probably only 1). The reasons are not only financial but also linked to me wanting to be able to spend as much quality time as possible with my children and giving them the best life possible. I want them to go to good schools and have experiences my parents couldn't afford to give me when I was younger.
The decision on the number of children you have is a very personal one and I do not judge anyone whether they want 1, 2 or 20 children.
I do think that education (of women in particular) has taught people that there's more to life than sprouting children and sitting at home taking care of them all day. Suddenly there are more choices and people are taking them.

 

[silverbell]

I agree with barefoot

 

[lily28]

Personally I delayed having kids before 30 because of work, I had to work to survive and pay for university, my parents didn't support me financially. I was working to pay of some debt and to buy appliances for my home until 3 years ago. Then I quit and decided to stay at home, I couldn't see a career,didn't enjoy my work, wasn't making enough money so I couldn't justify working all day long in a stressful environment and never seeing my DH. Not everyone can decide something like that easily though, I was lucky my DH is able to support both of us. So I understand why so few ppl decide to delay having kids in their 20's. There isn't enough money. Not enough money makes you insecure about starting a family.
The more we delay family the less chances we have to stay pregnant and here is the problem of low birth rate.

I don't know how things are in Australia, here in Europe there is a recession, high unemployment and things are getting worse all the time. In my country there are no baby benefits, public schools are horrible, there are very few public day care centres, and no incentive to start a family. Those who start a family usually have a grand parent who is on early retirement and stays with babies all day long while both parents work. My parents both are young (50) and work all day long and I know they can't help for at least another 15 years.

 

[morri]

There are hardly any tuition fees in Germany so thats not the reason here. I think it is rather the choices of life. it is also true for other countries, the better our education and chances the less kids you have .


the phenomen is called demographischer Übergang/demographic transistion

https://www.burkina.at/images/thumb/9/9f/Demoubergang.png/400px-Demoubergang.png

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographic_transition for further reading.

 

[MrsWifey]

If I had met my hubby 10 years ago then I think we'd have quite a brood by now, but then I probably wouldn't have the career and salary that I now have. We are both 29 and WTT until later in the year but both of us have said that we pictured ourselves with children by our mid 20's and we want 3 or 4. I think it's good that women have a choice nowadays but wonder how true that really is. At the moment I earn far more than my hubby so it would be financially silly for me to give up work and for us to live off his salary!

 

[ManicsGirl]

This frustrates me as well. In our case we are pushing off TTC because of debt incurred from education. Since jobs nowadays require such a high educational standard and since tuition is overly inflated, young people start out their new lives in such smothering debt that having children is the last thing on their mind. Then if we wait too long our ability to easily conceive dwindles....

This is part of the problem with me and my OH. Personally, I'll be in £18k of debt (all student loan, 4 year undergraduate degree and 1 year PGCE, Scottish govt pays for tuition up here, but I don't get any parental support), and OH will be in £10k (4 year undergrad degree, 3 years of loan with parental support and living at home for a year = no living costs for that time). That's a shit load of money to owe before thinking about how much it costs to live AND buy everything baby and then child will need to have the life we want to be able to provide. I know that people do it on much less money, and I know that babies don't know that the clothes you buy them come from Next or Primark, but it would be nice if it wasn't "a struggle". I'm 21 this year and will be 22 when I'm totally done with uni, and I want to have my first at 24/25 which only gives me a couple of years to earn/save money and try to pay off some of the debt.

 

[Widget]

If I had met my hubby 10 years ago then I think we'd have quite a brood by now, but then I probably wouldn't have the career and salary that I now have. We are both 29 and WTT until later in the year but both of us have said that we pictured ourselves with children by our mid 20's and we want 3 or 4. I think it's good that women have a choice nowadays but wonder how true that really is. At the moment I earn far more than my hubby so it would be financially silly for me to give up work and for us to live off his salary!

I have the same predicament where I earn more than hubby so I feel trapped. While I love my job completely, I yearn for a child.... we have even discussed having hubby stay at home instead but I really want to breast feed for the first year (if I can). So we are going to take a huge financial hit regardless.

 

[cocokitten]

im so glad i didnt go to uni because of this reason, i just don't see the benefits unless its a career where you HAVE to study for it eg Doctor.

But really how many degrees are ever even worth the effort of getting out of bed in the morning...?

Might as well just work properly and not be in thousands of pounds worth of debt with no proper work experience to show for.

But i agree, think a lot of it just comes down to money people can't afford 6 kids.

Another reason i think is that theres more to entertain people iykwim, like careers and all new types of technology compared to near enough cave man days when all people did was eat, sleep, survive and have sex.

Obviously theres contraception as well now, so rather than nature deciding when people will have babies there has to be a discussion and decision to ttc made and a possible trip to the doctors to come off the contraception etc so its more planned these days

 

[lynnikins]

we didnt have alot of choice really in waiting if we wanted children due to my spinal health then the best chances for happy healthy pregnancys are before im 30 after that im risking much greater damage to my spine because of the injurys i already have sustained, so we choose to ttc when we got married and now im 24 married with 2 children, Yes it hasnt been easy finnacially but we get by even if its not by much, and i wouldnt trade my children for being finnacially secure anyday and it hasnt done my FIL any good to have money as hes worked so much hes missed his sons growing up and still does even with his youngest miss out on soooo much id rather have the time with my kids while im young

 

[panther19]

Difficult situation. I always wanted kids young but it seems that circumstance has pushed me the other way. School, debt, feeling too young... not making enough. I was privileged enough to have private education, and had a good part of my college paid for. I do feel like the higher you climb the further ahead TTC gets pushed, not necessarily for everyone... but for a good portion of people that holds true. At this point I do not want to delay any longer, but I can't force my circumstances or my OH into submission... so I wait.

 

[mamalove]

I'm actually qute surprised because i don't think i've ever seen anyone with only one child.

I always wanted a big family and for me the main thing was to be financialy stable. We have 3 children and we'll have another one soon, we're both in our twenties and i wish i could be sahm forever because i really enjoy it.
Most women i know don't, my SIL has a 5 month old baby and wants to go back to work just to get a little break from her little boy, we're all different and different things appeal to us.

 

[dragonhawk]

I think a lot of it has to do with the socio-economic 'group' you belong to. (I know, this is going to sound like psycho-babble.) Where I grew up, nearly all of my friends were single children or only had one sibling. Until recently I would have been quite happy to not have bothered with children (that has obviously changed) but still stand by my ideal of only one child. DH has other ideas and would like 2, but we'll wait and see about that.

Me = Only child, with 2 parents who are still married/alive/together and my mother gave up work to look after me. Fortunately my father earned more than enough to support and provide for us, so there was no need for Mum to actually work.

Hubbie = Only child, but his mother did little if anything to look after him as a small child, father would work all the hours available and therefore was around very little.

Hubbie and I are from entirely different backgrounds. His reasoning for wanting 2, is so that they have permanent playmates.

But to add something to the mix of views, both DH and I went to university (I have in fact finished paying off all of my student loans. Hooray!!!) And we had decided that we didn't want to get married until we were out of rented accomodation and had a car and permanently settled into our jobs.

But we will be definitely stopping at 2 children at the maximum...

 

[Princess_LV]

I finished a 3 year law degree last May, and in 2 weeks I finish my Legal Practice Course. I turned 23 in March. Between me and qualifying stands a 2-year "training contract." Originally, we were going to wait until I had finished (or was 6 months off finishing) my training contract before ttc, so that I would be a fully-qualified solicitor before becoming a mum. However, as we all know, the economy is not that great at the moment, and the legal sector has been affected big time - the upshot of this is that I haven't managed to secure a training contract If I still waited until I finished it, who knows how long I could be waiting? So rather than putting being a mum on hold, I'm putting my CAREER on hold, because personally, despite having been educated to a high level, family is still more important to me. So, I'll be doing something else for the next couple of years while we have our first baby and the market rights itself as much as it can.

I think I am probably approaching this in the opposite way to how a lot of other people would, but I don't see a career as a prerequisite to providing a loving home and a roof over babies head. Just a job will manage that. Also, as I said, who knows how long I could be waiting for that perfect contract to fall into my lap - why not get on with my life in the meantime? Things have been on hold for long enough... and I definitely won't be clearing my student debt first, it's much too big!

ETA: I would like to have four children eventually, so buck the trend in that respect too! But unfortunately the odd few of us that do, are not enough to make it "acceptable" to the majority. I am always told that I am too young, should wait until I'm qualified bla bla bla. All these people sticking their noses into my personal choices really bore me!

 

[tasha41]

Lifestyle choices I think,

Women wanting to have careers first before families, people getting married/having babies later, the need for double income families.

The idea that kids 'need' this and that, like I would want 2 children, but first we'd have to move because I want my kids to have their own rooms, I want to be able to afford vacation etc still.