[alangibson]

If you invert the question "why aren't people having kids" to "why did people want kids in the first place" then the fertility crisis makes more sense.

Kids were free labor and old age insurance.

Now they are extremely expensive pets. Materially they are a net negative in a modern society.

[imtringued]

This is almost correct.

The way the pension systems are set up, you're donating your children's labor to the pension system as a whole. This means any investment into your children is purely an expense. Meanwhile if you don't have children, you can save money for retirement and let other people's children work for you.

This means children are a net positive to society as a whole, but a net negative to the parents raising them.

[alangibson]

Kids are definitely a net positive for society. They're future taxpayers.

But that's not relevant to couples choice to get pregnant. I've never heard a parent say they had kids so they can pay into Social Security.

[trumpdong]

I'm sorry your kids hate you so much they wouldn't support you if you needed it?