Poor families are generally larger in size. There are a number of explanations for this, but they certainly exclude the idea that procreation has become the "poor's habit." This is a reductive and elitist view that blames poverty on the "poor choices" of poor couples (1/n)

instead of the social forces that continue to trap them in cycles of poverty. There are various studies which show that, in the absence of social safety nets, many poor couples view having more children as their means to security, an investment for when they grow older. (2/n)

The conditions of women are also a very significant factor. The ideal or actual number of children is associated with the woman's level of education, employment status, her reproductive choices, and in general, the empowerment of women in society. (3/n)

The delay in the age of marriage and first childbearing are also proximate determinants of fertility. Today, we're seeing more and more couples marrying and forming families at later ages, primarily due to employment, social pressures, and experience of poverty as children. (4/n)

So let's retire once and for all the argument that the poor are mindlessly "breeding like rabbits." Poverty is not a choice. Poverty is a result of the lack of choice among women and their families. (5/5)