What are the birth rates in these countries? If you check (Our World In Data Fertility Rates), you’ll see it’s lower than the US, even countries with strong pro natalist policies. The opportunity cost of kids is just too damn high.
When fathers in Spain were given more parental leave, they have less kids, for example. The revealed preference is clear.
“As the authors point out, it’s impossible to draw sweeping conclusions from this observation of a single data point in a single country.”
The study doesnt mention any effect on career progression or any other type of opportunity cost either. You’re entitled to your opinion but this article does not support it.
When fathers in Spain were given more parental leave, they have less kids, for example. The revealed preference is clear.
https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/children-per-woman-UN
https://qz.com/work/1614893/after-men-in-spain-got-paternity...