[SatinDoll]

I’m more interested in knowing why Germans do not want families anymore?

I would firstly speculate that it is because both adults have to work to support themselves adequately due to a high taxation rate. It takes time and effort to bear and rear children correctly, so families with one child predominate. Combine that with the propaganda about the environment and there is additional cultural pressure to have one-child families.

Socialism and environmentalism look like the culprits to me. The same situation holds true for other nations where socialism and the enviromental craze have taken root.

[donhunt]

It’s just too much work to make a baby nowadays.

[arthurus]

Populations with high birth rates are populations for whom children are profitable to the parents. Some or all of them are earning their food by age 10 or 12 and adding income to the family shortly thereafter. They are also the social security for the parents. Social Security is probably the largest single contributor to the birth dearth. Parents don’t have to rely on their children to support them in their old age. Consequently also, respect foe old folks declines with social security because the kids don’t have to take care of Mom and Pop and thus don’t live with them.

[EGPWS]

I’m more interested in knowing why Germans do not want families anymore?

PSST, don't spread it around but socialism makes it way too expensive for anyone to take the initiative to risk financial "change" and add burden to maintaining financial survival as a family.

[Lobsterback]

I read that there is a 50% energy tax in Germany. People have to unplugg their appliances at night to avoid going broke. I sure that the intended consequence of all these 'green' taxes is that people are too financially crunched to have children.

Europe is gone...

[Star Traveler]

You were saying ...

Socialism and environmentalism look like the culprits to me. The same situation holds true for other nations where socialism and the enviromental craze have taken root.

What I've read about it in the past, is that the more advanced and successful the country (you know like third world countries and/or Western nations) the fewer kids they have. So, as people themselves become more succesful, the birth rate goes down. There might be some exceptions for some religious preferences (a couple of groups I can think of).

But, Muslims... they just take over by sheer numbers and they're due to take over this country in a generation or two.

[truthguy]

I’m more interested in knowing why Germans do not want families anymore?

They've bought into the environmentalist line that there are too many people. German women are some of the most selfish creatures walking the face of the earth. Boy do I ever know this. They can't be bothered with having children when there are more important things like travel and leisure.

There are also politics. Germans have been beaten to a pulp by the West since the end of WW2 and have a bad feeling about themselves. So they don't produce. It's a very sad situation. Germany is committing suicide. They care more about having a nice car or nice vacation than continuing their civilization. Tragic that we are losing on of the world's great civilizations. Blame Liberalism. Northern Italy is just as bad.

[WorldviewDad]

The decline in birth rate is not just in Germany but is now in most countries including the U.S. To get a better understanding of the issues that we are now starting to face and the main reasons why Germans and others are not having babies I would advice viewing the DVD “Demographic Winter” and the follow up “Demographic Bomb”. Both are very interesting and point out how the economy is going to be in trouble for a while because of the declining birth rates. Unfortunately it appears that most people do not see the advantages of having children...Scripture calls children a blessing while most people today call children a financial burden...what a shame.

[RobbyS]

Add to this a profound pessimism resulting from the two wars, and the traditional passivity of the Germans. Voluntarism, which is in the American DNA, is alien to the Germans, who leave politics to the professionals.

[Pining_4_TX]

I’m sure all those factors enter into it, but I think it is because they have lost their faith in God. Christians have hope; pagans do not. The cost of living is so high that many people live in very small spaces. Hard to have several kids when you live in a 1,000 sq. ft. apt.

When I was pregnant with our 3rd child, a German asked me if it was my first. When I told him, the baby was our third, he gave me a dirty look and said he hoped I would quit now. Yes, they are pretty much all rabid environmentalists.