Investigating the phenomenon of small families in Europe

Abstract

In the last decades, European countries have experienced a significant decline in fertility rates, with family patterns undergoing drastic changes. The conventional idea of large families has become antiquated and been replaced by a more contemporary view of family structure, which gave rise to the phenomenon of small families or having no kids at all. It is argued that the emergence of households with two kids or less can be attributed to a number of factors, including technological, political and legal, economic, and sociological contributors. In this essay, I will explore to what extent these variables play a role in determining family size while noting that there are many correlations and crossovers among these factors. Additionally, I will also shed light on the negative implications a decrease in the number of children per household entails, ranging from an aging society, a declining labour force, to a shrinking economic performance.