Financial incentives to increase fertility in Poland

How efficient, do you think, are or would be a financial incentives in countries with low average fertility rates to increase fertility? What would be a sufficient amount of money paid for every second, third, etc. child to make almost every family to have two children? 300.000 $? 500.000$? Is it realistic to find this huge money (at least in developed countries) to finance this program? Do you think such programs need to be implemented in your country? And if yes, who suppose to pay taxes to finance it?

They don't work. Something that might be more effective are things like tax breaks guaranteed free daycare from 8.00 to 22.00.

The bigger problem is that post religious societies (most of the world now including parts of places like Turkey and Iran) don't reproduce. Having children is, among other things, a way of recognizing a larger agenda than your own life. Societies that don't do that become sterile.

Give the society a mission (that can be helped by having kids) is more effective but no one knows how to do that now....

Do you think, that even offering something like $300.000 for every second child in the countries like UK, France or Canada is not going to work?

and a pony? let's keep ideas in the realm of the feasible... if you pay that much you're going to be creating a black market in babies.... not a good idea

Well the way that need for babies has been presented is that someone has to pay the pensions of the ageing population - but if on top of saving for their own pension they have to shell out 300.000 for each kid that is going to be a hard sell to your average Japanese or French tax payer.

I have never met a single person who would have a bigger family for money. Most are grateful for 500+ etc but surely nobody would tot up the lifetime cost and grief of having kids and then work out how much they should be paid for that.

Not convinced about the religious argument - there are significant drops in all countries and one reason might be that people used to have 5 or 6 kids expecting a couple of deaths to Diphtheria or whatever, now that risk is less.

no in sub-saharan africa.... and parts of the middle east there aren't drops either...

Why not? Some farther help wouldn't be spare...


How?

Perhaps religion is important too, but I think the most important factor here is that it is agrarian, poorly educated and patriarchal societies that reproduce well. I'm not sure that Sub-Sakharian Africa is very religious. If some country experienced more than 100 years of firm industrialization it will not reproduce well. It makes a profound shift in mentality and lifestyle.

Of course that's the trend. As soon as women know how to prevent pregnancy and have the means to do it thay usually start to opt for less kids.

However I do agree with Maf that rather than simply giving money the better option is childcare, job security, housing conditions and more equal share in household chores ( although the last one is of course outside of the system and between the partners). Money are good but only as a safety net so the parents know they won't starve if something happens