In communist China, parent-led 'matchmaking corners' in public parks have emerged to combat low marriage rates. With many buyers and sellers, no barriers to entry, and zero transaction costs, these markets ironically serve as a real-world example of a perfectly efficient market, a core capitalist theory.

The main reason for low US fertility is the decline in marriage rates among reproductive-age women, not the use of birth control. Even if all married women had children at the high rate of the Amish, the national fertility rate would still only be around three because so few women are married in their childbearing years.

The drop in national birth rates is primarily driven by an increasing number of women who never become mothers at all. The total number of children per mother has remained relatively stable. This highlights a crisis of family formation and coupling, rather than a decision by parents to have fewer kids.

Despite government incentives, China's birth rate is falling. The primary driver is educated, urban women prioritizing careers and freedom over marriage and motherhood. This illustrates that economic development and female empowerment are a more powerful contraceptive than any state policy.

The reasons Chinese women cite for divorce have evolved. Previously centered on egregious behavior like domestic violence or infidelity, the rationale now often involves a lack of emotional fulfillment or "differences in values." This reflects rising education, economic power, and changing expectations for marriage.

The introduction of no-fault divorce laws was a legislative response to already-spiking divorce rates that were overwhelming the court system, rather than the cause of the increase. Data from states like California shows divorce rates were already rising before the law was changed and simply continued on the same trajectory afterward.

China's plummeting birth rate is not just about cost. It's a structural issue where highly educated, professional women are opting out of childbirth because male partners are not stepping up to equally share the temporal and financial costs, creating a significant "parenthood penalty" for women.

China's policy to boost birth rates by subsidizing IVF is inherently flawed because it limits access to married, heterosexual couples. This restriction directly contradicts the societal trend of women marrying and having children later in life, which is a primary driver of rising infertility, thus hobbling the policy's effectiveness.

With a 56-76% failure rate, marriage should be analyzed like any failing technology, not blindly adopted as tradition. Questioning "why" you are getting married is a critical first step that modern culture wrongly deems rude and off-limits.