Can the Government Get People to Have More Babies? (NYT/13 Oct 2024)

New York Times piece (archive) discusses how governments across the developed world are struggling to reverse declining birth rates despite numerous initiatives. In South Korea, despite spending billions on pro-natal policies, the birth rate remains the lowest globally, largely due to cultural factors such as high costs, career pressures, and changing societal values. While countries like Japan have introduced childcare subsidies, parental leave, and pro-marriage initiatives, these policies have had limited success in increasing fertility rates, indicating deeper issues need to be addressed.