The problem is, that when you have kids it takes a huge financial toll on you. On average it takes around $250,000 to raise a child to age 18. If median household income is $50,000 a year, this is 27% of your total household income going to your kid. Needless to say, this cuts back on your lifestyle alot. Maybe you need a smaller TV, a smaller house, you can't go out partying all the time, you can't afford drugs. Basically you need to be willing to sacrifice so much of your own personal gratification to do this.     This is why in my opinion, religious communities in particular have such high birth rates, because they are willing to sacrifice their own gratification for a higher concept. They have the tradition of family running strong through them, they feel they  have  to have one. With the loss of religiosity in Europe, we also lose the birthrate.    I don't see this turning around very quickly, because Europeans need to change so much of their own value system to make it happen. We likely would need to see a resurgence of religion. To be honest, I don't think it can happen without state help. They are the ones with their hands on the gears and levers that can steer society on a large scale.