Why Shared Responsibility between Couples May Hold the Key to Higher Birth Rates

A Couple on a vacation.

Across much of the world, birth rates have been steadily declining for decades. From Europe and North America to large parts of Asia, the trend has sparked intense political and social debate. Governments worry about ageing populations, labour shortages, and the long-term sustainability of welfare systems. In response, discussions often revolve around reviving “traditional family values” or encouraging women to have more children.

Recently, the rise of the so-called “tradwife” culture—where women embrace traditional roles as homemakers while men act as primary breadwinners—has gained visibility on social media. Some commentators argue that returning to these older family models could help reverse declining birth rates.

However, new research suggests that the solution may lie in a very different direction. According to economist and Nobel laureate Claudia Goldin, higher birth rates are more likely in societies where men share household responsibilities and childcare more equally with their partners. In other words, rather than returning to outdated gender roles, the path toward stronger family growth may depend on greater equality at home.

Rethinking the Causes of Declining Birth Rates

Declining fertility is often framed as a demographic or economic crisis. Policymakers frequently highlight the potential consequences: shrinking workforces, rising pension burdens, and ageing societies. Yet these debates rarely examine the everyday realities couples face when deciding whether to have children.

In her study “The Downside of Fertility,” Goldin argues that the key factor influencing birth rates is not women’s increasing independence, as some critics claim. Instead, it is the degree of support women receive from their partners.

Her research indicates that women today carefully evaluate whether having a child will significantly limit their financial security, career opportunities, or personal freedom. If motherhood appears likely to disrupt these aspects of life, many women choose to delay or avoid having children altogether.

The decision is often less about rejecting family life and more about weighing the costs and responsibilities associated with parenthood.

The Changing Role of Women—and the Slow Shift Among Men

Over the past half century, women’s lives have undergone profound transformation. Access to higher education has expanded dramatically, and women now participate in the workforce in unprecedented numbers. In many countries, they represent nearly half of the labour force.

Advances in reproductive health and access to contraception have also given women greater control over when—or whether—they have children. These changes have enabled many women to build careers and financial independence before considering motherhood.

However, according to Goldin, while women have adapted rapidly to these new economic realities, men’s roles within the household have evolved more slowly. Many families still operate under assumptions shaped by older models in which men focused primarily on earning income while women handled domestic duties.

This imbalance often leaves women carrying a disproportionate share of household work and childcare, even when both partners are employed. As a result, the cost of motherhood—both professionally and personally—remains significantly higher for women.

“Dads” and “Duds”: A Simple but Powerful Distinction

Goldin illustrates the issue through a striking contrast between two types of fathers.

The first group she calls “Dads.” These fathers actively participate in raising their children and share household responsibilities with their partners. Their involvement extends beyond occasional help; they play a consistent and meaningful role in daily family life.

The second group she refers to as “Duds.” These fathers remain largely unchanged after the birth of a child. Their routines, careers, and personal schedules continue much as before, leaving the majority of childcare and domestic tasks to their partners.

According to Goldin, the balance between these two types of fathers strongly influences national birth rates. When women believe they will receive meaningful support from their partners, they are more likely to consider having children. When that support seems uncertain, many hesitate.

In this sense, declining fertility may reflect a mismatch between what women expect from partners and what they actually experience.

Evidence From Around the World

To explore this connection further, Goldin compared fertility trends across two groups of countries.

The first group includes nations such as Denmark, France, Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. These countries have experienced relatively low birth rates for many years, but the decline has not been as extreme as in other regions.

The second group includes countries such as Greece, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Portugal, and Spain. These nations currently report some of the lowest fertility rates in the world.

A key difference between the two groups lies in how household responsibilities are shared.

In countries such as Japan and Italy, women spend roughly three hours more each day than men performing unpaid domestic and caregiving work. In contrast, the gap is significantly smaller in nations like Sweden and Denmark, where men contribute far more to household tasks.

These differences appear to correlate strongly with fertility trends.

South Korea: An Extreme Case

Perhaps the most dramatic example comes from South Korea, which currently has the lowest birth rate in the world.

In South Korea, rigid gender expectations and unequal divisions of labour have led many women to question traditional family structures altogether. A growing number have joined what is known as the 4B movement, a social trend in which participants reject four aspects of conventional life: dating, marriage, sex, and childbearing.

For many women involved in the movement, this decision reflects frustration with a system that encourages family life while failing to offer genuine gender equality.

The Hidden Burden of Unpaid Work

One reason these dynamics matter so deeply is the invisible workload that often falls on women.

Beyond formal employment, daily life includes countless tasks—shopping, cooking, cleaning, childcare, and caring for elderly relatives. Studies consistently show that women perform significantly more of this unpaid work than men.

Even in countries where progress toward equality has been substantial, the gap has not disappeared entirely.

The cumulative effect can be profound. When women anticipate carrying the majority of both professional and domestic responsibilities, the prospect of raising children may feel overwhelming.

Policies That Help—But Are Not Enough

Many governments have attempted to address declining birth rates through supportive policies. Subsidised childcare, paid parental leave, and financial incentives for families are increasingly common in developed economies.

Countries such as Denmark, France, Germany, and Sweden have implemented comprehensive support systems that make balancing work and family life easier.

While these measures can make a difference, Goldin argues that their impact remains limited if household responsibilities remain unequal.

For example, Japan offers extensive support for fertility treatments and provides more than 30 weeks of paid paternal leave. Yet despite these initiatives, the country continues to experience extremely low birth rates.

This suggests that policy measures alone cannot solve the problem if deeper cultural norms remain unchanged.

The Political Debate

In some countries, the issue has become highly politicised. In the United States, a growing pronatalist movement on the political right has called for women to leave the workforce and focus on raising children in order to address economic decline and labour shortages.

Figures such as Donald Trump and JD Vance have voiced concerns about falling birth rates and suggested measures aimed at encouraging larger families.

However, critics argue that such proposals overlook a crucial part of the equation: the role men play in supporting family life.

Why Returning to Traditional Roles May Backfire

Goldin warns that pushing women back into traditional housewife roles could actually worsen the problem.

For many women, having children is closely tied to maintaining economic independence and personal autonomy. If motherhood requires sacrificing these aspects of life, the decision to have children may feel too risky.

In other words, rather than increasing fertility, attempts to limit women’s career opportunities could discourage them from starting families at all.

A New Perspective on Family Policy

Goldin’s findings highlight a perspective that is often overlooked in public debates about declining birth rates.

The challenge is not simply persuading women to have more children. Instead, it involves reshaping the conditions under which families operate.

When couples share domestic responsibilities more evenly, women feel more confident that they can pursue both family life and professional aspirations. In these environments, the decision to have children becomes less fraught with uncertainty.

Toward a More Balanced Future

Declining birth rates are not the result of a single cause, nor can they be solved through quick policy fixes. They reflect long-term shifts in education, employment, cultural expectations, and gender roles.

Goldin’s research suggests that one of the most effective ways to address the issue may be surprisingly simple: encouraging greater equality within the home.

If societies move toward more balanced partnerships—where both men and women share the responsibilities of work, caregiving, and household life—families may find it easier to grow.

In the end, the future of population growth may depend less on returning to the past and more on building relationships that reflect the realities of modern life.