Standard of Living and Fertility: the Relationship of Two Inequalities at the Macro and Micro Levels

The subject of the study is the relationship between the standard of living and fertility. The purpose of the work is to analyze and evaluate various aspects of the relationship between the standard of living and fertility, the number of children in the family, as well as an attempt to answer the question: is the feedback really paradoxical in this case and how to correctly assess the impact of the standard of living on fertility? Interregional analysis based on data for 2020 showed a moderate direct relationship between the total fertility rate and the share of the population and incomes below the subsistence minimum, which indicates an inverse relationship between the standard of living and fertility. Data from sample surveys of household budgets show that families with a large number of children have less per capita resources and incur more food costs. The meaning of the term “feedback paradox” has been established, implying a relatively larger number of children, a higher birth rate with a lower standard of living. However, such a connection can be interpreted paradoxically only when it is considered as a factor of the influence of the standard of living on fertility. It is concluded that in this case we are talking about the relationship of these concepts, in which, on the contrary, the influence of the number of children in the family on the standard of living prevails. The policy aimed at priority improvement of the standard of living of families with several children will help to smooth out its inequality with other families depending on the number of children, as well as contribute to the creation of more favorable conditions for the realization of the need for children.

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