In rural societies, children are productive members of the workforce and the care of the aged depends on having surviving children. This encourages large famili

In rural societies, children are productive members of the workforce and the care of the aged depends on having surviving children. This encourages large families. In urban societies, children are expensive to rear and educate until they can become productive, and the care of the aged depends on social institutions. This encourages small families. However, if urban societies socialize the cost of rearing and educating children, then that disincentive will be removed and families may become larger. Ethnic subgroups with strong extended families and religious solidarity tend to have larger families, even in urban settings.