Why Social Norms Quietly Shape How Many Children We Have

The puzzle

In many developing economies, children are partly a form of old-age security. When the norm of supporting aging parents is strong, families trade an extra child against the cost of educating the ones they already have.

Why it matters

As that norm weakens, the calculus shifts — often lowering fertility while reshaping how much families invest in each child. It matters for pension design, education policy, and how we read falling birth rates across Asia.

This note accompanies ongoing work on fertility, human capital, and intergenerational transfers.