Sociology
Low-Fertility Demographic Transitions and the Politics of Pronatalist Policies
Quick fact
South Korea's fertility rate fell to 0.78 births per woman in 2022—the lowest in the world—despite the government having spent more than $200 billion on pronatalist policies over the past decade and a half.
Why this is interesting
Most of the world's population now lives in countries where birth rates have fallen below the level needed to keep the population stable. If that's so, why do some countries worry so much about low fertility, and why do they struggle to 'fix' it with money and policies?