Across the globe, more and more people are choosing not to have children – whether out of conviction, financial pressure, or societal challenges. This in-depth article presents a global view of the declining birth rate, with personal stories from South Korea, the United States, and Germany. It explores what happens when traditional roles and expectations around family no longer align with modern lifestyles, economic realities, or individual priorities. Despite political efforts to incentivize childbirth, including government subsidies and parental leave programs, many young people remain hesitant. The article examines ideological movements, from conservative pronatalist campaigns to feminist resistance, and questions whether population decline is necessarily a crisis – or a sign of increased autonomy. In doing so, it challenges assumptions about what families should look like and whether a smaller population might actually reflect progress rather than decline.
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