This touted research flies in the face of lots of our learned experience about fertility. Namely that Asian countries like Japan and South Korea have been payin

This touted research flies in the face of lots of our learned experience about fertility. Namely that Asian countries like Japan and South Korea have been paying for and accommodating things like childcare and even high cash payments for births without an increase in fertility to show for the extra spending. I think the correlation with the perceived uptick (couldn't find the study so I can't see how significant it actually was) may just be a correlation. The countries listed have had excellent maternity leave and childcare benefits for decades so why only see a change now? My hunch, and it's very much just a huge grain of salt hunch, is that people choose to have kids when they feel the sacrifice is worth it. Having kids is a sacrifice no matter how much the govt pays for stuff and no matter how much "dads do laundry" or anything like that. Dads also can desire not to have kids if it means extra work for them. I think the focus on demography, on a shrinking / aging population and the dire forewarnings about this have started to resonate with more people. I also think current events might shape people's views on having kids. With Israel/Palestine fighting a war largely because the democracy of Israel refuses to consider extending voting rights to a larger population than its preferred population, it makes people think about how having kids gives you an anchor and a say in future generations, esp. in democratic countries with high immigration (something Japan and South Korea, who spend tons on encouraging fertility largely for naught) don't have. I'm not trying to place any value judgments on anyone these are just the things I think motivate having kids. They are harder to study though because people don't honestly say these things. It's rare to hear someone say they want kids so they have a say in the future, but it's true and most of us know that to be true.