QuotePlease review the estimates of male and female sterilization rates in Western EuropeanI would happily do so except that (a) I don't know where to find such statistics, and (b) seem roughly orthogonal to my point. Whether sterilization rates are high or low, my contention is that government-sponsored retirement programs reduce the incentive for child-bearing, since it is children who, in one form or another, pay for retirement. By legislating that succeeding generations collectively pay for the retirement of preceeding generations, governments have created a massive postive externality from child-bearing which did not previously exist. Like any good which produces large positive externalities, it will be under-produced.Matt.

Opus,I believe that you have your causation reversed; it is the easy availability and choiceof contraception and sterilization that fuels the demand for these services -- I particularlylike the similarities to universal daycare in Plato's Republic.