Canada has enacted many pro-family policies, yet its fertility rate has plunged from 1.60 to 1.25 in eight years. What factors are driving this and how can Canada and the rest of us change course?
Current family incentives cover only a small slice of the actual cost of raising a child.
No wonder they haven’t reversed falling birthrates — they may slow the decline, but that’s not proof incentives don’t work. It just proves they’re not nearly enough.
Culture matters — but birthrates don’t fall because of “bad values.” They fall when kids shift from economic assets to liabilities.
200 years ago, 10 kids meant wealth. Today, it means debt — $250k per child from birth to 18, no ROI.
You can’t “re-moralize” people into ignoring math.
Fix housing. Offset costs. Then talk culture.
Current family incentives cover only a small slice of the actual cost of raising a child.
No wonder they haven’t reversed falling birthrates — they may slow the decline, but that’s not proof incentives don’t work. It just proves they’re not nearly enough.
This was really cool, too bad mainstream media doesn't talk about this!
What's the source for the Canadian TFR chart?