The monetary cost of a Swedish child might be lower (though to some extent, the cost is just distributed across the population in the form of taxes), but the op

The monetary cost of a Swedish child might be lower (though to some extent, the cost is just distributed across the population in the form of taxes), but the opportunity cost is not. Scandinavian countries have high rates of post-secondary education, which delays parenthood, and even with progressive workforce policies, having children can slow career advancement [1]. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2004/sep/22/books.familyandrelationships https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2004/sep/22/books.famil...