Well, what's six years worth? Universities love to claim that a four year degree is worth around $1MM, so can we fairly say $1.5MM? Now, my six year old could

Well, what's six years worth? Universities love to claim that a four year degree is worth around $1MM, so can we fairly say $1.5MM? Now, my six year old could definitely handle the work of my employees making $60-80k per year, legalities aside. If we stick with the social norm of 18 years of the child being an extension of the parent, that is 12 years of gains. If I recall, the cost to support a child is $4,000 per year[1], so let's say after 12 years one child will pay out $672,000[2]. $2MM from all three children. That's a $500,000 payday ($2MM less the $1.5MM opportunity cost) by the time your children have left the nest, or, as the universities like to calculate it, $8MM in additional lifetime earnings. I am quite certain that if you told would-be parents that they stand to gain a $8MM by having three children they would take notice! Trouble is, in rich countries that is unquestionably considered amoral, and is no doubt illegal. Without that changing, it is, indeed, hard to realize the benefit. But, by the same token, if you forced the people into poverty without a change in those legal and social norms, they're still not going to be able to realize the benefit. It is not poverty itself that is significant. [1] You will probably be more familiar with a figure around $13,000, but you will notice that it factors in things like the cost of housing, etc. While it is not unreasonable to include those things in certain contexts, for the sake of this discussion it would not be an additional cost. You're probably not venturing into the woods and living under the leaves if you don't have children. The housing cost is there with or without them. [2] It is more complicated than that, I know. But, for the sake of illustration let's run with it.