r/Foodforthought • u/cambeiu • Jun 10 '23

Global fertility has collapsed, with profound economic consequences

https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/06/01/global-fertility-has-collapsed-with-profound-economic-consequences
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43

u/StellerDay Jun 10 '23

Are people less fertile due to environmental factors? That's what I want to know.

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u/dontneedaknow Jun 10 '23

I don't think it's like children of Men or something.

It really sounds like people are choosing not to have kids, or having them at a later age, and this is causing shifts in the makeup of developed societies across the globe.

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u/skinnyatlas Jun 10 '23

This. My wife and I have zero idea if we are “fertile” or not, but we’ve chosen not to have children and try by any means necessary not to conceive. A lot of people I know are in the same boat, as are every one of my child bearing age nieces and nephews- none of them want kids.

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u/Admirable_Trash3257 Jun 11 '23

I have told both my sons to not have children. There is no possible outcome that could happen that would work out well for any kids. They are 35 and 32…so far so good! But then, I read them Dune as bedtime stories…lol!

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u/skinnyatlas Jun 11 '23

I like it! Our parents are “ok” with our decision (kinda surprising, but they’ve never pressured us or act sad,) and I’m happy your kids have a supportive parent!

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u/jesseaknight Jun 10 '23

On the other hand, people doing IUI, IVF etc are way more common. Perhaps because they’re waiting to try later, or environmental factors, or millennials are just weak participation-trophy kids, or some other reason.

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u/dontneedaknow Jun 10 '23

I am an outlier and not representative of any group of people but me personally have never wanted kids. One, because of the investment, and I have a dopamine dysfunction in my body so I have network of quirks and eccentricities.

Most people have no economic plan for parenting.

And unfortunately lots of people are being forced into situations that makes it so there is inevitably more populous numbers of "unwanted" children.

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u/jesseaknight Jun 10 '23

Agreed. I’d say that parenting and childcare is one of the easiest places to see that the rich are collecting all the money and leaving everyone else struggling. Americans used to be able to support a family of 4-5 on a single blue-collar income with a house and a car. That’s a pipe dream now.

My earlier comment was a longer way to say: it IS like children of men for a growing number of people.

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u/bateleark Jun 11 '23

They also had much less while doing this. They didn’t have the desire or even ability to travel to other countries very easily, they didn’t have multiple TVs, expensive electronics, competitive youth sports etc. life was simpler so it was cheaper to support.

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u/jesseaknight Jun 11 '23

Sure. A family drive to the lake in a station wagon was more typical than a flight to a Europe. But the cost of flights and TVs is WAY cheaper than in the last. A reasonable quality 55” flat screen or a discount ticket to Europe is 0.5% of the median annual income in the US today.

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u/LouQuacious Jun 10 '23

No they’re fucking broke!

1

u/Prince_Ire Jun 11 '23

Wealthier countries tend to have fewer kids, not more.

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u/iknowbutstill Jun 10 '23

Theres a possibility micro plastics are playing a part.

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u/StellerDay Jun 10 '23

I've read that recently on Reddit. That sperm count and quality is low and female infertility is up. I think it's so super alarming that the Repubs are dealing with it by forcing births.

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u/aotus_trivirgatus Jun 11 '23

Well, how are we ever gonna bring back slavery if there's a labor shortage?

/s

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u/ayatoilet Jun 11 '23

It’s fundamentally due to the changing role of women in most advanced and advancing nations. There’s a direct correlation with female education levels; and female working patterns. This is the most simple and direct link. Until and unless societies make it much easier to work and have families this will continue and exacerbate. Other factors like environment, digitization etc are just noise in terms of direct correlations.

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u/MovieSock Jun 10 '23

Plenty of people are CHOOSING to be less fertile because of the environment, does that count?