Freakonomics Radio 636. Why Aren’t We Having More Babies?
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Jun 13, 2025 
Matthias Doepke, a family economics expert, Catherine Pakaluk, who specializes in fertility and education, and Amy Froide, a historian of women's economic history, tackle the intriguing decline in global birth rates. They discuss cultural shifts affecting family formation and the pressures women face in parenting. The trio examines how historical population predictions have failed and what this means for future economic trends. They also address how rising child-rearing costs impact fertility decisions, advocating for a more nuanced understanding of family economics.
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Economist With 14 Children
- Catherine Pakaluk, a Harvard-educated economist, has 14 children and explores fertility from her unique perspective.
- Her personal experience challenges common assumptions about large families and rational decision-making.
Global Fertility Rate Halved
- Global fertility rates have fallen by more than half in the last 50 years.
- This shift marks a major demographic change from fears of overpopulation to concerns about too few babies.
Fertility's Quantity-Quality Trade-Off
- As countries grow wealthier, families have fewer children but invest more in each child’s education and upbringing.
- The trade-off between quantity and quality of children explains declining birth rates despite increasing wealth.
