In Japan, couples can ‘rent’ a grandchild in order to make them feel less bereft on special occasions. In South Korea, dog stroller sales have overtaken pram sales. In Italy, villages are giving away homes for free, with an added cash bonus if you have a child. In France, deaths outnumbered births for the first time since the Second World War in 2025.
Around the world, nurseries are shrinking, and schools are closing. The fertility rate is at its lowest ever.
Governments and grandparents alike are panicking.
So what’s actually going on?
There’s no single answer, but rather an amalgamation of economic, cultural and societal factors which have completely overhauled how we live, work and love in the past few decades.
Award winning journalist Camilla Cavendish joins Oli Dugmore on The Exchange to discuss her new book, Generation Maybe: Why We’re Having Fewer Children, and What It Means for Us All.
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