Why are people having fewer kids? It might not be about money

New research suggests cultural shifts, not just financial struggles, are driving the historic drop in birth rates across America.

For a long time, most people thought they knew why families were getting smaller. The common belief was simple: raising kids is just too expensive. Between the cost of housing, food, and childcare, many people felt they couldn't afford to grow their families. But new research is challenging that idea. Some experts now say that money isn't the only thing—or even the main thing—holding people back. Instead, the problem might be cultural. What does that mean? It means our values and the way we view life have changed. In the past, having a big family was a normal part of life. Today, people ar…