Question

Why have western economies transitioned to smaller families without mandatory birth limits?

Answer 1

The opportunity cost of having children have risen for western countries. Opportunity cost is the loss of other alternatives when an alternative is chosen. These are some of the reasons why the opportunity cost may have increased.:

• People of developing countries want more kids because they want to use their children to help them earn wages. Especially poor agro based countries believe if they have more people working on land, the output will be higher. Children are a way of ensuring more output, according to them. Richer countries do not face this problem as such.
• Developed countries have better healthcare plans, especially after retirment. People of developed countries do not have to worry as much, regarding who will look after them at old age.
• In developed countries, mostly both men and women work. Developing countries have more stay at home housewives than developed countries. Thus when both the parents are working they have to rely on daycare which can be costly.
• Developed countries have more empowered and educated women than developing countries. They want to concentrate more on their jobs or hobbies than having kids.

Developed countries also have more people who are educated regarding birth control measures than developing countries.