The Debate on Poverty and the Birth Rate (3 photos)

There's been a repeated debate here about whether poverty is the cause of the low birth rate.





They say that in order to raise children, you need to have a financial base, separate housing, and other reliable buffers.

Logically, this is the case, since raising children is quite expensive. This is the most compelling argument for not having children.

But stubborn statistics say otherwise. With rare exceptions, birth rates peak in countries where the population is literally impoverished, while in rich and well-fed countries, people are reluctant to have children.

For clarity, I'll provide two maps.

The first shows the birth rate by country.



The second shows the income level of the population in countries around the world.



Overlay one map on another and you'll discover a curious pattern: the well-fed and wealthy are in no hurry to have children. They breed primarily in places where people literally live hand-to-mouth.