Clear Benefits

This article makes a lot of great points about the risks to society from a declining birthrates around the world. 

As societies grow wealthier, women gain access to education and careers. They secure reproductive freedom and marry later, if at all, encouraged by reproductive technology to postpone family formation. Teen pregnancy becomes rare. People concentrate in cities where housing costs soar and living spaces shrink. Extended families scatter, taking with them crucial support. Meanwhile, parenting itself has become more intensive and expensive but less valued by society. Childrearing also competes with growing access to luxuries such as travel, hobbies and creative pursuits. (Smartphones are more entertaining than kids.)

The last bit about what is competing against childrearing in the life of a would be parent is particularly poignant. I have heard women in the late 20s and early 30s say that they have a great life and don't yet feel a strong enough maternal desire to consider giving up their freedoms and "access to luxuries" this article talks about to embark on an eighteen year cycle of childrearing which could run twice as long seeing how hard it is for young people to establish their own independent lives these days. Everyone knows someone who they went to school with and has yet to find their way in life and exit their parents' basement.  They seem terrified to take on a project with such ambiguous timelines for completion. They are not clear on the benefits.