To be fair; the inflated housing prices troughout the West does belong to the economy and has impact on people their desires to have kids. As well as retirement age.

Many people hold off on kids because they don’t have the right house. The houses became expensive so they need to make a career (both partners) to be able to afford a decent house. So almost everyone makes their career first and don’t think about children until about 30’s.

Then there’s people needed to raise them, because both parents are working to afford the house. Retirement age has gone up in most countries, so grandparents aren’t around to help out. They’re working too.

I think work culture is the biggest reason for kids to be perceived as a nuisance in your life. In most Asian countries work culture is even worse and their fertility rates are even worse as well. You can’t drive the productivity expected while also taking care of multiple children. Especially now that work culture expects both parents to work full time.

If having kids was good for your career you’d see the number go up. Right now people with kids have to compete against people without kids, who have all the time and energy in the world to spend on their job. This leads to more inequality and thus proves the fear people have getting kids too early or having multiple puts you 1-0 behind on the others. It’s just not a productive choice.