Birth Fertility

• Effects Of Changes In Fertility

  The family

  üSmaller families means women are more likely to be free to go to work, creating the dual earner couple typical in modern society.üSmaller families also contribute to the rise of the beanpole family, where there are close links between children, parents, grandparents but less close links between horizontal generations (siblings & cousins).ü

  Public services

  üIn the short term, fewer schools, child health and maternity services needed. Fewer costs generated by parental  leave. In the short term, this saves tax payers money.
• •Dependency ratio

  relationship between the working (independent) and non-working (dependent) parts of the population
• Effects Of Changes In Fertility

  •Children = dependent on the earnings and taxes of their parents (working population!)Less children= in the short term reduces the burden of dependency BUT in the long term means fewer working age people when they grow up. In the long-term the dependency ratio grows as the dependent population (children and old people) is large compared to the working population. This may mean that workers have to pay tax/work to a greater age in order to pay for services.