Why Do People Keep Having Children? (Rebroadcast)

The episode examines economic and behavioral factors influencing fertility, using data from India's TV expansion showing soap opera access reduced birth rates, and discusses how recessions lower fertility despite long-term income-fertility inverse correlations. It explores psychological drivers like optimism, biological imperatives, and findings from Huntington’s disease carriers who continue having children despite genetic risks. Emily Oster presents evidence that people prioritize emotional and familial desires over rational risk assessment when deciding to have kids.

It offers rare empirical insights into deeply personal decisions using rigorous economic analysis, revealing how culture, media, and genetics interact in shaping family formation.

1. 01Access to cable TV, particularly soap operas, correlates with lower fertility rates in India and Brazil, suggesting media shapes family size aspirations.
2. 02Fertility declines during recessions, indicating short-term economic pessimism affects reproductive decisions more than long-term wealth trends.
3. 03People at risk for Huntington’s disease often choose to have children anyway, driven by optimism about future treatments and desire for family continuity.